DeSantis slams Florida House Republicans amid budget clashes, probe into Hope Florida
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Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Fort Myers at the Florida Highway Patrol station Wednesday as part of an appearance to talk up raising the pay for state troopers and law enforcement, while also using the opportunity to lash out at House Republicans who have been investigating the Hope Florida Foundation created by his wife and who have been clashing with the governor over the state budget.
DeSantis put down Republican state legislators in the House, calling them "disgraceful."
"This is a donkey in an elephant suit," DeSantis said in his reference to House Republicans he is clashing with. He called them "the swamp in action."
"They never ran on joining with Democrats to try and manufacture smears," DeSantis said in a reference to the investigations of the Hope Florida Foundation.
DeSantis accused Republicans in his own party of working to benefit "liberal trial lawyers," personal injury lawyers and special interests.
"They are effectively stabbing voters in the back with this terrible agenda," he said.
He criticized fellow Republicans for working to restore funding for programs that he had vetoed last year in the state budget. DeSantis said he had made $60 million in spending cuts through the line-item vetoes last year.
DeSantis defended the Hope Florida Foundation, which is a division of the Florida Department of Children and Families and was set up as a nonprofit charity by his wife, Casey DeSantis. Although a nonprofit charity, the Hope Florida Foundation technically operates as a government entity and Florida House Republicans have been investigating the foundation's ties to the DeSantis administration and millions of dollars in funds it has distributed. Among the investigations is whether the foundation worked together with the DeSantis administration to oppose a state bill on legalizing marijuana. DeSantis has said he supports his wife succeeding him as the next governor of Florida when his term expires in 2026.
DeSantis talked up the foundation's work with connecting those in need of government assistance with churches throughout the state and placing foundation offices in all of the state's colleges.
DeSantis is pushing to increase the pay for all new state law enforcement and state firefighters by 20% and by 25% for all veteran state law enforcement and firefighters. He criticized some Florida House Republicans who he said are not supporting the increases but are instead seeking cuts. DeSantis’ communications office did not respond to messages seeking specifics regarding the allegations by DeSantis and requests for the base pay for troopers and firefighters, or how much the increases would add to the budget.
DeSantis said Wednesday there has been an attempt by some Florida House Republicans to not support funding the replacement of Florida Highway Patrol vehicles with more than 100,000 miles and ballistic armor.
"This is a sabotage of law enforcement," DeSantis said.
The press conference featured speeches from state law enforcement, the widow of a trooper killed in the line of duty and the spouse of a trooper who was shot while pursuing a fleeing vehicle. All spoke in support of the funding initiatives sought by DeSantis.
DeSantis talked up his support for law enforcement and noted that his administration has instituted $5,000 signing bonuses for all new local and state police officers hired in Florida, an initiative the state has spent $53 million on since 2022. DeSantis also said the state used federal funds it received during the covid pandemic to pay $1,000 after-tax bonuses to police officers three years in a row thanks to those federal funds.
DeSantis made repeated mentions of his efforts to "fight the woke" and to not "defund the police" in terms that echoed stump speeches he made in his presidential bid. DeSantis is expected to run again for president with his term in office ending in 2026.
Messages left with members of Lee County's Southwest Florida State House delegation seeking comment were not returned as of press time.
DeSantis spoke more positively of the Florida Senate, which he said he has been getting along with.
"We are going to be bulldogs. We are not going to back down from a fight," DeSantis said.