FACT CHECK: Did Ron DeSantis Say He Will Not Let Trump Be Extradited To New York If Indicted?
A post on shared on social media purports that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has stated that he will not allow former President Donald Trump to be extradited to New York for his possible indictment.
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Verdict: False
The claim is inaccurate. There is no evidence that DeSantis has made this statement.
Fact Check:
DeSantis criticized Trump in a recent interview with Piers Morgan calling into question Trump’s leadership capabilities, USA Today reported. Although DeSantis is considered Trump’s top rival for the Republican nomination, he has not announced a bid for the presidency yet.
The social media post alleges that DeSantis would use his power as Governor to protect Trump from New York authorities. The text appears to have been written in a Notes App page and does not only gives credit to Desantis in the caption.
“Donald Trump is a citizen of Florida,” the post reads. “A Soros-funded District Attorney who has allowed anti-Semitic violence to send New York City into a state of anarcho-tyranny is allegedly seeking to take Trump into custody on spurious charges. I am prepared to exercise my lawful authority as Governor to examine the legality of any extradition request, to ensure that no citizen of my state will have his rights violated by vindictive prosecutors in other states.”
There is no credible news report that suggests this claim is accurate. There has been no press release from DeSantis that says any such thing. There has been no statements on any of DeSantis’ verified social media accounts. (RELATED: Does This Photo Show Joe Biden Groping Brazil’s First Lady?)
DeSantis did speak about the possible indictment and arrest of Trump in a press conference. He lambasted the New York District Attorney for his actions and shared his disapproval of the process saying that the D.A has “weaponized” his office. He also made it clear that he would not become involved in this issue saying,”I have no interest in getting involved in some type of manufactured circus.”
This is not the first time misinformation about politics has spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim the U.S. threatened Ugandan aid for the country’s stance on homosexuality.
