Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been putting on a clinic for other GOP politicians. His approach to governing and navigating the political waters should be a template that other conservative officials follow when it comes to dealing with the opposition and their comrades in the activist media.
During a Thursday press conference, DeSantis announced that he is showing 13th circuit state attorney Andrew Warren the door after repeatedly refusing to do his job as a prosecutor. The governor pointed out that Warren has frequently failed to enforce laws passed by the legislature – especially regarding sex change surgeries for minor children and following abortion restrictions.
The governor said Warren believes himself to be “above the law” and has been “picking and choosing” which laws to enforce. The attorney signed letters saying he would refuse to enforce laws barring sex change operations for children.
“The constitution of Florida has vested the veto power in the governor, not in state attorneys,” DeSantis said. “We are not going to allow this pathogen of ignoring the law get a foothold in the state of Florida.”
“To take a position that you have veto powers over the laws of this state is untenable and warrants suspension,” he added.
BREAKING: @GovRonDeSantis makes MAJOR announcement suspending Soros-backed, social justice-obsessed 13th circuit state attorney Andrew Warren pic.twitter.com/N42JPGck11
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 4, 2022
Officials in the DeSantis administration explained that Warren has tried to make himself the arbiter of what laws will and won’t be enforced.
“This isn’t about abortion or any one thing, it’s about having accountability to our system of law and order to prosecute crime. There has been a pattern developing in Hillsborough County where one person picks and chooses which laws he wishes to enforce,” his office said.
Former Tampa police chief Brian Dugan chimed in during the press conference after DeSantis, expressing his frustration with Warren’s performance, referring to the attorney as a “fraud.”
“We should not be here. We should have someone who did their job. The governor should not have to come to Hillsborough County to clean up our mess,” the former police chief said. “Let me tell you something, Andrew Warren is a fraud. Did you get that? I’ve never been good at sugarcoating anything. He’s a fraud. He has misled the people of Hillsborough County.”
As an example, Dugan brought up the 2020 riots in East Tampa in which police arrested 67 people. The former officer said Warren misled the public in a press conference a few weeks later.
“He said there were no acts of violence, no property damage. He must’ve not read the police reports,” Dugan said. “Where I come from, you’re lying. I’m not elected. I was appointed. I’m here because I believe in keeping this community safe.”
This is precisely the response Americans should expect from their governors. All over the country, there are district attorneys whose campaigns were funded by George Soros. These officials are more concerned with protecting violent criminals than safeguarding the civilians they victimize. In cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City, prosecutors are refusing to do their jobs in the name of “equity.”
In San Francisco, one of the deepest of blue cities, voters ousted former district attorney Chesa Boudin for allowing the crime rate to climb while doing his best to place criminals back on the street. Los Angeles district attorney George Gascon is looking at getting the same treatment. But in Warren’s case, Gov. DeSantis made the call – and it was the right move.
The governor sent a stern message to other prosecutors who believe they should be the deciders when it comes to enforcing the law – especially when it involves children. These people cannot be allowed to thumb their noses at the state government when it passes laws they don’t like. This action shows the type of strength and resolve that are often missing from Republican officials. Hopefully, people like DeSantis can show the rest the way.
