Ron DeSantis: Florida won’t assist in any extradition request of Trump

(A7) Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday called the indictment of former President Donald Trump “un-American” and said the state would not assist in any extradition request, The Hill reported.

“The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head. It is un-American,” said DeSantis.

“The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is stretching the law to target a political opponent,” DeSantis continued, adding that Florida would not assist in an extradition request “given the questionable circumstances at issue.”

The comments came after a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump on criminal charges for his role in organizing hush money payments made to an adult film star during his 2016 campaign.

Trump, who is a Florida resident, is expected to be arraigned next week.

The former President is expected to turn himself in early next week, his attorney Joe Tacopina told NBC News.

DeSantis is seen as the most serious challenger to Trump for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination. While he hasn’t announced a bid yet, he’s been actively preparing for a campaign and is widely expected to make a final decision later this year.

A recently released poll found that Republican and Republican-leaning voters favor DeSantis as their presidential candidate.

Trump has warned DeSantis against running for president in 2024, saying, “I think he would be making a mistake. I think the base would not like it. I don’t think it would be good for the party.”