Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday said that former President Donald Trump should have “come out more forcefully” against the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but rejected the notion that Trump should face criminal charges for his behavior on that day.
DeSantis’ remarks at a press conference in Columbia, S.C. came shortly after Trump said that he had received a letter from Special Counsel Jack Smith informing him that he is a target of a grand jury investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection — a sign that he’s likely to be indicted in the probe.
Asked about Trump’s announcement, DeSantis initially railed against what he called the “weaponization” and “politicization” of federal agencies like the FBI and Justice Department. Pressed later on about the investigation, DeSantis said that Trump didn’t do enough to halt the insurrection.
