Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pledged to utilize the powers of the Justice Department, if elected president next year, to target progressive prosecutors during the second Republican presidential debate.
What Happened: DeSantis, who has repeatedly accused the Biden administration of weaponizing the DOJ, said he’ll use the federal department to go after progressive prosecutors.
“When I had two progressive prosecutors that weren’t following the law in Florida, I removed them from their posts and the people of Florida are safer as a result of it,” he said.
See Also: RNC Takes Aim At Joe Biden: ‘Country Is More Divided Than It’s Ever Been’
DeSantis further vowed to bring civil rights cases against “left-wing, Soros-funded prosecutors” if elected president. "As president, I will use the Justice Department to bring civil rights cases against all of those left-wing, Soros-funded prosecutors," DeSantis added.
Why It Matters: When Trump was indicted in July following special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the 2024 Republican frontrunner's actions during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, DeSantis strongly criticized the DOJ, arguing that it wouldn't be "good for the country."
DeSantis decried Smith's probes, calling them "political" in nature, and argued that the Justice Department and FBI have been "weaponized against people they don't like."
The second primary debate took place on Wednesday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California. Seven Republican presidential hopefuls, all trailing behind Trump in the polls, met the Republican National Committee (RNC) criteria to participate in the debate.
These included DeSantis, conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
GOP frontrunner Trump, who is missing from the debate, is meeting the current and former union workers who are currently on strike against three major automakers — Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis — in Detroit.
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