DeSantis says Trump is a victim of ‘militarization’ of law enforcement under Biden

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump’s main rival for the 2024 GOP nomination, said the decision to indict the former president demonstrates political bias within Biden’s Justice Department and that it was a “militarization” of its police powers.

Trump was indicted Thursday on federal charges of conspiracy, obstruction and taking classified documents.

“The militarization of federal law enforcement poses a deadly threat to a free society,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday.

“We have seen for years unequal application of the law based on political affiliation. Why be so zealous about prosecuting Trump and yet so passive about Hillary or Hunter?

DeSantis said his administration “will hold the DOJ accountable, remove political bias, and end gunning once and for all.”

Other GOP candidates have made statements of support, but not all.

Sen. Tim Scott, who announced his candidacy last month, said in a Thursday night interview with Fox News’ Harris Faulkner that Trump’s indictment indicates the “scales” of the justice system “are weighted.”

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“One thing that makes America a city on the hill is the faith in our justice system. And today what we see is justice where we are waiting for the scales. It seems to be a result of where we are today,” Scott said.

“As President of the United States, I would purge all injustices and impurities from our system so that every American can trust that they will be seen by the lady of justice with a blindfold on. This is what we need in this country,” he said.

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But former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who threw his hat in the ring earlier this week, said on Twitter that “we don’t get our news from Trump’s Truth Social account.” Trump first announced that he had been indicted via his social media platform, before reporting that his legal team had received a summons from the DOJ. The indictment itself remains sealed.

“Let’s see what the facts are when a possible indictment is made public. As I said before, no one is above the law, even if they want to. We will have more to say when the facts come to light,” Christie said.

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson called on Trump to end his campaign saying, “With the news that Donald Trump has been indicted for the second time, our country finds itself in a position that weakens our democracy. “.

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“Donald Trump’s actions – from his willful disregard for the Constitution to his disrespect for the rule of law – should not define our nation or the Republican Party. This is a sad day for our country,” he continued.

“While Donald Trump is entitled to the presumption of innocence, the ongoing criminal proceedings will be a major distraction. This reaffirms the need for Donald Trump to respect office and end his campaign,” he said.

Entrepreneur-turned-GOP nominee Vivek Ramaswamy has said if he wins the White House, he would “quickly” forgive Trump.

“It would be much easier for me to win this election if Trump was not in the running, but I stand for principle over politics,” Ramaswamy wrote on Twitter late Thursday. “I pledge to pardon Trump promptly on January 20, 2025 and restore the rule of law to our country.”

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It’s the Trump has been indicted for the second time This year. Trump pleaded not guilty in April after being indicted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on 34 counts of first-degree business document falsification.

Trump was ordered to appear in federal court in Miami on Tuesday.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.