Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered a top 2024 Republican presidential contender, took a swing at soaring crime in Democrat-run cities.
Mr. DeSantis on Monday embarked on a three-state tour, but it didn’t include Iowa, New Hampshire or any of the other early voting states in the presidential primary.
The Florida governor instead hit a trio of the nation’s bluest cities, promoting pro-policing policies that he has implemented since taking office in 2019.
He kicked off the tour on Staten Island in New York City, where he met with police officers and touted Florida’s “commitment to law and order and support for the men and women who wear the uniform.”
Mr. DeSantis, who has stayed silent about a possible White House run, also took a jab at President Biden. Mr. Biden made an unannounced visit to war-torn Ukraine on Monday and Mr. DeSantis, in an interview from Staten Island that aired on Fox News, accused the president of neglecting domestic problems.
“I think, I and many Americans are thinking to ourselves, he’s very concerned about those borders halfway around the world. He’s not done anything to secure our own border here at home,” Mr. DeSantis said. “We’ve had millions and millions of people pour in, tens of thousands of Americans dead because of fentanyl. We just suffered a national humiliation of having China fly a spy balloon clear across the continental United States. So we have a lot of problems accumulating here in our own country that he is neglecting.”
He later met with police officers in Philadelphia and then traveled to Chicago to talk to law enforcement officials.
All three cities have grappled with rising crime rates amid criticism that elected leaders have implemented soft-on-crime policies that have left police without necessary tools.
Mr. DeSantis’ arrival in the three cities triggered attacks from Democratic elected officials.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams “welcomed” Mr. DeSantis in a tweet that criticized the Florida governor’s efforts to limit abortion, ban teaching LGBTQ issues to young children in school and transfer migrants from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
Mr. Adams called the Big Apple “a place where we don’t ban books, discriminate against our LGBTQ+ neighbors, use asylum seekers as props, or let the government stand between a woman and health care.” He told Mr. DeSantis, “We’re happy to teach you something about values while you’re here.”
Mr. DeSantis’ visit to the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 in Elmhurst triggered a call from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker for any candidate “hoping to hold public office in the land of Lincoln” to “condemn” the event. He called the Florida governor’s agenda “dangerous and hateful.”
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who is up for reelection in a Feb. 28 primary, told NBC that Mr. DeSantis “has perfected being a bigoted, racist demagogue.”
According to a top aide, Mr. DeSantis is targeting the three deep-blue cities in order to “share the tools that he’s used on a policy front and just let cops know that Florida has their back even when Lori Lightfoot and Mayor Adams may not.”
The three-stop tour comes a week before the release of Mr. DeSantis’ book, described by the publisher as “a winning blueprint for patriots across the country … and a rallying cry for every American who wishes to preserve our liberties.”
According to associates connected with Mr. DeSantis, his decision about a presidential bid isn’t likely to come until the state’s legislative session concludes in May and he can be assured he’s got a shot at securing the delegates needed to win the GOP primary.
Polls show Mr. DeSantis trounces most of the field of GOP candidates, including former Vice President Mike Pence, who hasn’t declared his candidacy yet, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who jumped into the race last week. But some polls show Mr. DeSantis trailing behind former President Donald Trump by double digits, although there are surveys that give him the lead over Mr. Trump.
For now, Mr. DeSantis appears to be dipping his toe into the national political waters by promoting the successes he’s had in Florida, where the GOP-led Legislature has made it easy for him to implement his conservative agenda.
Mr. DeSantis, on his Monday tour, touted Florida’s crime rate, which he said is at a 50-year low. He took credit for the lower crime, telling police that he has implemented “the most pro-law enforcement policy in the nation,” including money for bonuses and training for law enforcement and stepped-up punishment and prevention of early release for certain crimes.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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