DeSantis lays into Trump on 2nd Amendment, Fauci, lockdowns, personnel
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis went vocal about his opposition to some of former President Donald Trump’s comments regarding the 2nd Amendment, his personnel picks and handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
In February 2018, Trump said in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, “I like taking the guns early, like in this crazy man’s case that just took place in Florida … to go to court would have taken a long time.”
“Take the guns first, go through due process second,” the president said.
“I wanted to know your thoughts on the idea of taking the guns first and going through due process second,” Loesch said, DeSantis shaking his head.
“That’s unconstitutional,” he said. “And it violates the Second Amendment.”
“But I think even more important, it violates the Fifth Amendment because they can’t take anything from you without due process,” the governor continued. “It’s not just firearms. And so, the idea that you’re seizing people’s property and then promising some due process later, that is wrong.”
“That’s not something that I would support.”
WATCH: @RonDeSantis reacts to former president Trump wanting to “take the guns first, go through due process second”…
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) May 25, 2023
“That’s unconstitutional” and “wrong.” pic.twitter.com/WjAVHtg2Kk
In another interview on the Blaze, DeSantis praised Trump’s first three years in office, but soured on his final year in 2020 with the elevation of Dr. Anthony Fauci, who served on the President’s Coronavirus Task Force.
“I think he did great for three years. But when he turned the country over to Fauci in March of 2020, that destroyed millions of people’s lives,” the governor said.
On the coronavirus pandemic, DeSantis argued “particularly at the federal level,” there was a “catastrophic response.”
The comments come on his second official day of campaigning for president, launching Wednesday evening.
He contrasted himself from Trump on other issues, saying he’d get a new FBI director other than Christopher Wray.
“No, I would not keep Chris Wray as director of the FBI. There would be a new one on day one,” he said.
