OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that the Biden-Harris administration not only isn’t cooperating with state agencies looking into the latest assassination plot against former President Donald Trump but that federal law enforcement is actively thwarting the state’s investigation.
In an interview Thursday with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, the two-term governor and former 2024 GOP presidential candidate said state investigators were “rebuffed” by federal authorities when they attempted to gain access to a site where the alleged attacker, Ryan Routh, 58, laid in wait for Trump as he played a round of golf last Sunday at his course near Palm Beach.
“I want to turn to another topic because we were relieved to hear that you are doing your own independent investigation in Florida concerning the second assassination attempt on President Trump,” Ingraham noted to begin her segment with DeSantis on Thursday. “My question to you tonight is, are the Feds being cooperative with your investigation? Are you concerned that you’re not getting the information you need?”
“The answer is, no, they’re not being cooperative. Yes, I am concerned. I mean, for example, we were rebuffed. Our investigators were rebuffed just going to the fence line outside of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach,” DeSantis said.
“And so, I think they’ve taken the position they don’t want the state of Florida to be involved in this. But here’s the thing: there were multiple violations of Florida law across multiple jurisdictions. We think at least three judicial circuits. This guy, Ryan Routh, committed potential violations of Florida law,” he continued.
“So, we have a duty to investigate this. We have a duty to bring the appropriate charges, and we also have a duty to inform the public about how this happened, so I don’t anticipate they’re being cooperative,” the governor added. “I think that they’ve just taken that position, and I think that that’s unfortunate because even though I’ve been very clear, the state of Florida is going to do an investigation. You know, I’ve not disputed their right to also investigate. It’s the federal government he was in their protective custody as a presidential candidate.
“But let us do this. So, hopefully, that tune will change. But I can tell you right now, Laura, we have not gotten a lot of receptive, receptive response” from the Biden-Harris administration, DeSantis said.
Later in the interview, Ingraham and DeSantis discussed the clouded history of Routh and what led him to plan an assassination attempt against Trump.
“How did he end up in Florida to begin with? What does this pathway this guy has taken to end up in those bushes trying to assassinate the former President of the United States and current Republican nominee?” DeSantis said.
“How did that happen? And we have not gotten answers about Butler” Pennsylvania, the site of the first assassination attempt against Trump in July, the governor continued. “We haven’t gotten answers about things like the Las Vegas shooting from many years ago.
“So, part of the investigation that our folks are doing is they are going to provide evidence they find of motive, evidence of his associations and evidence of his beliefs. I think that’s very important that the public get the real story on that,” he said.
WATCH:
Earlier this week, Secret Service veteran and prominent political commentator Dan Bongino suggested the possibility of a “mole” within the Secret Service or Department of Homeland Security.
“I have to ask you all a really troubling question now that I promised you 10 years ago I would have called myself nuts for asking this,” Bongino said before a long pause. “Is there a mole inside the DHS or Secret Service?”
“Folks, what happened yesterday in Secret Service jargon, the movement to the golf, the golf course, Donald Trump going to play golf at the golf course is what we call an OTR. Stands for an off-the-record movement, meaning it’s not on the official schedule, meaning very few people have access to it,” Bongino explained.
“What makes me even more curious about what happened yesterday is apparently the decision to golf was made at the last minute. Meaning, there were probably – when the decision was made, less than 10 people who knew about it. How’d this guy know to set up there?”
