DeSantis To Staten Island Cops: “Is This Florida North?”

Staten Island Live reports:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to be the standard-bearer for the Republican Party, but while speaking early Monday morning to an enthusiastic Staten Island crowd he didn’t mention the elephant in the room. DeSantis spoke at an Annadale law enforcement event, hosted by the New York State Fraternal Order of Police, about the need for safer communities, but made no mention of the de facto leader of his party at the Presidents’ Day breakfast event.

“Is this Florida north or is Florida Staten Island south?” the governor jokingly asked the crowd. “You don’t have to look far in Florida to find someone that’s got Staten Island roots.” DeSantis spoke for about 20 minutes, making the influx of people into his state from northern cities — particularly of law enforcement officers — a central focus of his remarks. People wearing pro-law enforcement apparel filled the crowd, and the line for entrance started before 6:30 a.m.

New York City’s ABC affiliate reports:



DeSantis also painted the enthusiastic group’s city as a crime-ridden hellscape ruined by Democratic policies, despite multiple cities in his state having higher murder rates than that in the five boroughs.

According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida had a homicide death rate of 7.9 people per 100,000 while the Empire State had a homicide death rate of 4.7 people per 100,000.

“Here you are in uniform, having to risk your life, bring them in and then they just release them. How does that make any sense?” DeSantis said. DeSantis also touted other things his state has tackled like critical race theory and the so-called “Don’t Say Gay Law.”