Donald Trump suggested Monday he trusts a former archenemy more than Joe Biden’s federal law enforcement officials to investigate the second attempt on his life: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
“If the DOJ and FBI cannot do their job honestly and without bias, and hold the aspiring assassin responsible to the full extent of the Law, Governor Ron DeSantis and the State of Florida have already agreed to take the lead on the investigation and prosecution,” the former president wrote in a statement. “Florida charges would be much more serious than the ones the FBI has announced. … LET FLORIDA HANDLE THE CASE!”
The former GOP primary opponent who he nicknamed Ron DeSanctimonious is a better bet to handle things fairly, he implied, than the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
After Secret Service agents apprehended Ryan Routh, who allegedly spent 12 hours camped outside Trump’s Florida golf course with an assault rifle, the suspect was initially slapped with only two gun charges. On Monday, however, the Department of Justice revealed Routh had left a note confirming he was trying to assassinate Trump and offering a bounty to anyone who would “complete the job.” Prosecutors then revealed in court they plan to charge Routh with attempted assassination of a major political candidate.
But Trump was already digging his claws into Biden’s law-enforcement agencies.
“The Kamala Harris/Joe Biden Department of Justice and FBI are mishandling and downplaying the second assassination attempt on my life since July,” Trump ranted. “The charges brought against the maniac assassin are a slap on the wrist. It’s no wonder, since the DOJ and FBI have been coming after me nonstop with Weaponized Lawfare since I announced my first Historic Campaign for the Presidency.”
The former president also called out FBI Director Christopher Wray by name for implying before Congress that it could have been flying shrapnel, and not a bullet, that struck Trump’s ear and left him bleeding on July 13. The FBI later confirmed that the former president was, in fact, struck by a bullet.
For his part, DeSantis opened an investigation into the second assassination attempt just days after it happened.
“In my judgment, it’s not in the best interest of our state or our nation to have the same federal agencies that are seeking to prosecute Donald Trump leading this investigation,” the Florida governor said.
Trump beat up on the governor for a year during the Republican primary, calling “DeSanctimonious” a “RINO GLOBALIST” and “a wounded falling bird from the skies.” In January, DeSantis dropped out of the race and endorsed the former president, later urging his allies to donate to the Republican ticket.
The congressional panel investigating the first assassination attempt against Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, will hold its first hearing on Thursday. Witnesses scheduled to testify include state and local law enforcement and the Allegheny County coroner.
