Ron DeSantis is staying silent amid a push from MAGAworld for him to say or do something about a possible Trump indictment

Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis.Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is facing immense pressure from the far-right wings of MAGAworld to help former President Donald Trump evade a potential indictment in New York.

Trump on Saturday claimed without substantiation that he may get arrested on Tuesday. With that announcement came pressure on DeSantis from Trump-loving conservatives, who want the governor to defend Trump against the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation. DeSantis, who’s expected to run against Trump for president in 2024, has stayed mum.

But DeSantis’ predictable silence has given MAGAworld figures the opportunity to condemn him.

Jason Miller — a longtime Trump advisor — highlighted DeSantis’ lack of response on Sunday, while praising former Vice President Mike Pence for criticizing the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation.

“Radio silence from Gov. @RonDeSantisFL and Amb. @NikkiHaley,” tweeted Miller, who’s also the founder of right-wing social network Gettr.

Donald Trump Jr., Trump’s oldest son, didn’t name DeSantis, but wrote on Sunday that people will remember the difference between Republicans who spoke up for Trump “immediately” and those who “sat on their hands and waited to see which way the wind was blowing.”

Also on Sunday, far-right political activist Jack Posobiec tweeted: “It takes 10 seconds to send a tweet ‘This prosecution of President Trump is a farce and does grave damage to our republic.'”

Posobiec told The New York Times that he was “taking receipts on everyone” who hasn’t blasted a potential Trump indictment.

“For DeSantis to make that post yesterday, talking about the Hurricane Ian response and nothing from the personal account whatsoever about the arrest — it was a message that was received,” Posobiec told The Times.

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Michael Cernovich, a right-wing political commentator, tweeted that DeSantis was making his “first unforced error by not denouncing this lawless act.”

Far-right influencer Stew Peters tweeted that DeSantis should send the Florida National Guard to protect the former president at the Mar-a-Lago resort. Peters was echoing calls from fringe factions of MAGA world for people to form a “patriot moat” around Mar-a-Lago to prevent Trump’s arrest.

“Anything less proves DeSantis is a fraud,” wrote Peters on Sunday.

It’s unlikely that DeSantis has any avenues to stop Trump’s extradition even if he wants to, legal experts told Insider’s Jacob Shamsian. But the governor could delay extradition for up to 60 days by asking for a review of the indictment, they said.

Meanwhile, Trump announced on Saturday that he expects to turn himself in on Tuesday, though his defense team hasn’t received confirmation of whether he’ll be indicted.

Once allies with DeSantis, Trump has over the last year increasingly launched personal attacks at the governor. He’s been debuting insulting labels and nicknames for DeSantis, such as “Ron DeSanctimonious” and a “RINO Globalist.”

To add further animosity between the pair, a pro-Trump PAC on Wednesday filed an ethics violation complaint against DeSantis, accusing him of “leveraging his elected office” in Florida to bolster his national profile.

DeSantis has avoided launching direct barbs at Trump, telling people in November to “chill out” about the former president’s feud with him. But he’s privately been rallying allies and building his war chest for a potential 2024 White House run, the announcement of which would put him openly at odds with Trump.

Representatives for DeSantis and Trump did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment sent after business hours.

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