Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis vowed Wednesday to fire FBI Director Christopher Wray, saying the bureau and the Justice Department have “lost their way” and allowed themselves to be “weaponized.” against Americans.
In his first interview since formally jumping into the 2024 race, DeSantis, the second-term Florida governor and former member of the US House, said he would step down as head of the DOJ in light of reports A continuous explosion of politics brought to the United States. ahead with Congress and select media outlets.
“No, I would not keep Chris Wray as the director of the FBI. There will be a new one on day one,” DeSantis told Fox News’ Trey Gowdy on “Fox News Tonight.”
Wray, a former Trump appointee who served as attorney general at the time — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during the George Washington BridgeGate scandal, widely criticized while the bureau is still accused of politicization.
DESANTIS counts ‘Opposing the other way’ against IVY League teaching
DeSantis (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Recently, three FBI employees testified before Congress that they were retaliated against for questioning the January 6th statement, while the bureau has also drawn criticism for tagging whistleblowers. school board meetings, and preying on individuals such as pro-life and long-term activists. Republican Councilman Roger Stone.
DeSantis said he would nominate an attorney general with a “strong backbone” who must be able to do his job in the face of attacks by left-wing media like the Washington Post and New York Times.
“CNN is going to attack you. And you have to wear that like a badge of honor. You can’t try to please society or you’ll just be caught by the establishment itself,” he said. .
“And I think the DOJ and the FBI have lost their way. I think they are armed against Americans who think like you and me. And I think that they are very partisan.”
DISNEY’S NIKKI HALEY INVITATION CRASHED BY CONSERVATORS AS A HUNT AT DESANTIS
Wray (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
DeSantis suggested that the FBI and other agencies have been able to be partisan because Republican presidents continue to pretend they are “independent” when in fact they are agencies. active branch.
“They answer to the president-elect of the United States. So as president, it’s your responsibility to be involved in holding these organizations accountable, cleaning up people who aren’t doing the job, and making sure that they ‘doing the business of the people. , and they are not abusing their authority,” he said
Apparently referring to the Twitter Files scandal, DeSantis promised that any Justice Department employees found to have “deceited.[ing]“ by a technical officer to issue censor information immediately.
Turning to Florida’s battle against woke agendas in education and commerce, DeSantis said the proverbial “woke mind virus is a form of cultural Marxism.”
Wokeism, he said, is an “attack on the truth”.
“And since it’s a war on truth, I think we have no choice but to wage war on `woke’.”
Mexican President Criticizes DESANTIS-Backed Bill Meant to Curb Illegal Immigration
Inner Harbor and downtown Baltimore (Fototravel Atlantide via Getty Images)
So a president should not be afraid to speak the truth to power, even if it is socially uncomfortable in some areas, as it may be to present empirical facts against awakening testimonies, DeSantis said.
The battle against wake-up also extends to trading, where mutual funds and other large financial firms are prioritizing ESG (Environmental, Social Governance) over trust priorities. The governor said the president should push back against that as well.
In terms of education, DeSantis noted that the federal government is involved in the accreditation of postsecondary institutions, so it may be up to the creditors to stand up against the awakening and DEI curriculum (Diversity, Co- equity & Inclusion).
“We’re going to believe you if you’re a color-blind university – if you’re not trying to segregate people by race. So there are different tools available. It is not the same as a ruler. But I think you can have an impact across a wide range of different areas,” he said.
In response to NAACP President Derrick Johnson announcing a “travel warning” for black people planning to visit Florida, DeSantis questioned why the organization isn’t focusing on real threats to minority communities, such as schools where have zero or single-digit percentages of students classified. within grade level capacity or neighborhoods plagued by violent crime.
Click to get the FOX NEWS app
He singled out Baltimore, Maryland’s largest city, where the schools are notoriously underperforming and the city still suffers from high crime rates.
A recent FOX-45 report from the Charm City found that 23 Baltimore schools had no students proficient in math, and the Old Line State itself was ranked as the second most educated state in the country.
“Florida’s crime rates are at a 50-year low,” he said. “Compare that to places like Chicago or Baltimore — I don’t hear the NAACP talking about that.”
Florida promotes school choice, he said, claiming that Baltimore’s education system is largely determined by the will of teachers unions.
“We’re second in 3rd and 4th grade math and reading, respectively, because parents have choices. You go to Baltimore or Chicago, some of those kids are more likely to get shot than getting a high quality education,” he said. .
“And I can tell you, since I’ve been governor, some of the people who have contributed to our tourism numbers have been NAACP board members. How do I know? Because they posted pictures of their vacation in Florida on their social. media accounts. So this is an attempt to create a humorous narrative.”
“But I think people are on this stuff. They know what it is, and they take it with a grain of salt, and they dismiss it.”
