Florida authorities vowed transparency in investigating the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in remarks made on Tuesday during a press conference where Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis formally assigned the case to the Office of Statewide prosecutor.
Just hours after the attempt DeSantis “directed state law enforcement to find the truth, to hunt for the truth,” Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said during the press conference. “And that’s what we’re doing. We’re hunting.” He emphasized that the Sunshine State is a “law and order state.”
“And we will not sit idly by while anybody stonewalls information sharing amongst our law enforcement entities. We know that if we want answers, we got to go get them, and our proud law enforcement officers and deputies are out there doing that,” he said, noting that Attorney General Ashley Moody and her prosecutors are assisting with finding the truth of what happened, deeming them an “essential partner in our quest for justice.”
“Let me be clear on this one: Acts of domestic terrorism, such as intended attempted assassinations, are unacceptable, and we will not stand for that in Florida,” he said.
Glass continued:
The men and women of Florida law enforcement agencies throughout our great state are working day and night tirelessly to uncover and fight for the truth. The people of Florida deserve answers, and Governor, we will deliver those answers to you.
Dave Kerner, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, also expressed commitment to get to the bottom of this second assassination attempt on Trump.
“As an agency, we’re cognizant of the gravity of the now two attempts on the life of a former United States President and current nominee for President of the United States of America,” he said, explaining that there are “fundamental questions that must be answered and acted upon.”
“There is at least one person, perhaps more, that needs to be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he said, adding that the department takes on this mission with “humility and a very specific promise.”
“That promise recognizes that effective law enforcement is based upon the foundation of interagency and intergovernmental cooperation in the investigation,” he said, committing to transparency but warning that if the federal government refuses to cooperate, they will charge on anyway.
“However, governor, our promise is that if the higher-ups in the federal government refuse to provide the light of transparency, then we will fight in the shade,” Kerner said.
“The people of Florida, the United States, have a right to be served by a government of candor, honesty and action, and I’m confident that we will bring you and the people of Florida those answers, no matter the manner in which we uncover them,” he vowed.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw also emphasized the need to “prosecute this guy to the fullest extent,” he said, committing to “provide all the resources and information” to the state to conduct the investigation into this second assassination attempt. Bradshaw also made a commitment to Secret Service to provide the resources necessary to make their desired level of security a reality.
“I will make sure that my resources are dedicated to the Secret Service to keep him safe,” he said of Trump. “But thank you, Governor, for doing this. … And let’s prosecute this guy. I know [Attorney] General Moody will. Let’s prosecute this guy and put him away so he doesn’t get back out.”
WATCH the entire press conference below:
