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“I
hope he doesn’t get charged,” DeSantis told CNN in one of his
first sit-down interviews with a mainstream national news outlet
since becoming a candidate in late May. “I don’t think it’ll be
good for the country.”
DeSantis, who has largely favored speaking to friendly
conservative outlets, appeared on CNN the same day Trump said he
had been told he was a target in a grand jury probe centered on
his efforts to stay in power after losing the election to
President Joe Biden.
“We’ve gone down the road in this country of trying to
criminalize differences in politics,” DeSantis said.
The rare interview with CNN suggested a shift in tactics to
catch Trump, who leads DeSantis in the race for the Republican
nomination in opinion polls by double-digit percentage points.
While DeSantis has proven to be a strong fundraiser, his
campaign recently laid off several staffers in an attempt to
slow its rate of spending.
In the interview, DeSantis said his campaign is “making
progress” and remains focused on building a strong on-the-ground
organization in next year’s early nominating states, including
Iowa and South Carolina.
“This is a state-by-state process,” he said.
DeSantis, 44, became the national face of resistance to COVID-19
mask and vaccine mandates. He has taken the lead on hot-button
cultural issues such as the teaching of race relations and
gender identity in public schools.
When Walt Disney Co, one of Florida's biggest employers, opposed
a new state law limiting discussion of LGBTQ issues in schools,
DeSantis moved to strip the company of its self-governing
status.
When an elected Democratic state attorney said he would not
prosecute anyone over abortion or transgender care, DeSantis
removed him.
(Reporting by James Oliphant; Editing by Howard Goller)
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