Florida Governor Ron DeSantis revealed on Fox News Tuesday that his state’s offer of assistance to California Governor Gavin Newsom during the unrest in Los Angeles was declined. The refusal came as nearly 1,000 rioters reportedly caused widespread destruction, attacking federal agents and damaging property in the city.
Speaking on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” DeSantis stated that Florida extended help to California, a common practice between states during crises like hurricanes. However, he noted, “Their response, though, was that somehow us offering help was gonna quote, ‘inflame the situation.'”
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DeSantis firmly rebuffed this reasoning, asserting, “What’s inflaming the situation are the illegals that are burning cars and looting stores and are out there blocking traffic. That’s what’s inflaming the situation. The way to put the fire out is to make sure you have law and order.”
The Florida governor also expressed concern for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), claiming they are “not getting the support that they need,” which he believes has contributed to a migration of officers from California to Florida.
The interview also touched upon President Donald Trump’s deployment of at least 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Saturday to restore order. Despite this federal assistance, Governor Newsom reportedly filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday.
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DeSantis also criticized California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters for her claim that she witnessed no violence during the riots. He likened her statements to what he called “gaslighting 101,” referencing past instances during the BLM riots where media reports allegedly downplayed violent acts.
“You remember during the BLM riots, you’d have the CNN reporter staged in front of a building that would be on fire and would say ‘Oh, this is mostly peaceful protests’?” DeSantis said. “And so this is what they do. It’s gaslighting 101.”
DeSantis said that Democrats are aware this “gaslighting” strategy is not politically beneficial.
“As you pointed out, nobody’s rallying to the side of the people that are rioting,” he told Watters. “People want order, and they want the laws enforced.” He added that he believes President Trump’s immigration policies are “probably the most popular president on immigration in my lifetime.”
Waters, during a House Democratic press conference on Tuesday, maintained her assertion that the ongoing riots in Los Angeles were peaceful, despite widespread reports of looting, burning cars, and the use of Molotov cocktails and fireworks by rioters.
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