Will Ron DeSantis Pardon Trump? What He's Said About 2024 Plans

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is warning about the overreach and "weaponization" of the federal government following Donald Trump's second indictment, though he has not publicly stated whether he would pardon the former president if ultimately found guilty for his alleged crimes.

Following a months-long investigation headed by Special Counsel Jack Smith, Trump was indicted on June 9 on 37 counts related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents.

Trump has maintained his innocence, telling a crowd of supporters over the weekend in Columbus, Georgia, that "the ridiculous and baseless indictment of me by the Biden administration's weaponized 'Department of Injustice' will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country."

An ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 48 percent of respondents believe that Trump should be charged in this case and another 46 percent said that he should suspend his campaign, as opposed to the 35 percent and 38 percent, respectively, who disagree.

However, 47 percent of respondents said the indictment is politically motivated. Trump's poll numbers have actually increased post-indictment.

"Our founding fathers would have absolutely predicted the weaponization that we've seen with these agents, particularly Justice and FBI, because when you don't have constitutional accountability, human nature is such that they will abuse power. And that's what happened," DeSantis said Friday at North Carolina's state GOP convention, according to ABC News.

He never actually mentioned Trump's name, but did tweet similar remarks about "an uneven application of the law," mentioning Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden.

DeSantis was also reportedly asked what the Navy would have done to him had he taken classified documents while in military service, responding, "I would have been court martialed in a New York minute." He related his comments to the email scandal that hampered Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.

He made similar comments during a campaign event outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma, telling the crowd that he would install a new FBI director as part of the "authority to hold people accountable," according to The Associated Press.

Rumors have circulated online that DeSantis has pledged to pardon Trump should he become the Republican nominee and eventual president, though neither the governor nor his campaign have explicitly stated as such.

During a May appearance on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, DeSantis mentioned that he would use "pardon power" in cases where the federal government had been "weaponized against disfavored groups."

When asked if that could include Trump, DeSantis again neglected to mention Trump by name and retorted with a more generalized response that his administration would look into "any example of disfavored treatment based on politics or weaponization...no matter how small or how big."

Newsweek reached out to the DeSantis campaign via email for clarification on his position.

David Ramsey told Newsweek via email that he perceives the DeSantis campaign to continue with messaging targeting the DOJ and FBI, while shying away from directly commenting on Trump's legal challenges. Ramsey teaches constitutional law and political philosophy at the University of West Florida,

"It's hard to know whether this is the right strategy or not, because the indictment is without precedent," Ramsey said. "I suppose all can agree that it is alarming, though for different reasons. The indictment speaks to voters on its own, and the messaging of candidates is unlikely to change the meaning of the indictment for voters.

"Those who want to get Trump will see it as one more nail in the coffin. Those less concerned about Trump's character so long as he delivers on policy are likely to see the indictment in the same light as Trump and his surrogates."

DeSantis' relative silence would be consistent with the reputation he has sought to cultivate with voters as a serious, disciplined candidate, Ramsey added, including a candidacy not aimed to comment "on the issue of the day."

Trump Pardons Nearly Nonexistent

Most other GOP challengers, while commenting on Trump's indictment and the veracity of the charges outlined in the 49-page document, have also refrained from making any sort of pardon promise.

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott has echoed statements similar to those made by DeSantis, referring to a "weighted" scale of justice.

"It would be much easier for me to win this election if Trump weren't in the race, but I stand for principles over politics," candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said in a statement, according to Politico. "I commit to pardon Trump promptly on January 20, 2025, and to restore the rule of law in our country."

Candidates Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson have been most critical of Trump's actions. Christie called the indictment "devastating."

"To pejoratively say this is the result of a political prosecution is not in service to our justice system," Hutchinson told The New York Times. "It would be doing a disservice to the country if we did not treat this case seriously."