New York – This time he didn’t wait for the party to corner him. The Florida Governor Ron DeSantis defended his possible rival in the race for the White House and announced that he will not grant the extradition of Donald Trump. “Florida – he said after the indictment of the tycoon by the Manhattan grand jury – will not accept the extraction request”. DeSantis has attacked District Attorney Alvin Bragg, accusing him of moving to distort the political agenda.
In reality, legal experts argue that the governor can oppose Trump’s extradition, but not stop it. A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office said the district attorney’s office had contacted the tycoon’s lawyer to “coordinate his surrender and to face the indictment.” But it is not clear at the moment what the former president of the United States will do: will he surrender? Will he come out publicly to ignite the base? DeSantis, tipped as the potential rival in the Republican primary, accused Bragg of “weaponizing the justice system.” “It’s un-American,” he added. “The manipulation of the judicial system to advance a political agenda – he attacked on Twitter – overturns the rule of law”. “Manhattan’s district attorney, supported by Soros – he continued – has consistently bent the law to downgrade crimes and justify criminal conduct. But he is now bending the law to target a political opponent.”
But under Article IV, Section 2, Clause 2 of the US Constitution, no state has the right to deny another state’s request for extradition. Between Florida and New York it is not like between France and Italy. This legal bond may ultimately prove to be the best assist per DeSantis: on the one hand it will look like Trump defendere it will satisfy the radical base of the party. On the other hand, the prosecution of his rival threatens to penalize and ultimately alienate moderate voterswho view the former president with suspicion.
DeSantis’ staff, according to the American media, wants to understand if there will be a real arrest, with handcuffs and an armed escort, also because Trump may not oppose it. This acceleration of events could still postpone the moment of the announcement of the DeSantis candidacy. Taking the field against an opponent in difficulty would not please the party and the rank and file, which for the most part only want Trump. But spending the next few months with an indicted candidate, and probably with new details of the accusation gathered by the prosecution, risks weakening the entire Party.
So far the Trumpians have only attacked DeSantis over rumors of his potential taking the field. The big names in the party loyal to the tycoon have invited the governor to step aside. The same Trump insulted him, recalling on Fox how “he showed up in tears”, in search of the tycoon’s endorsement. “Without me – added the former president – now DeSantis would work in a pizzeria”. Now the would-be pizza maker has come to his rescue and, compared to the long silence following Trump’s attack on the New York prosecutor’s office, when he announced his arrest, this time he spoke immediately, and promised to get between the prosecutor’s office and the owner of Mar-a-Lago. Tuesday could be the day when the tycoon will have to hand himself over to the police. We’ll see how far DeSantis goes.