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Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday vowed to seek the repeal of the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform bill enacted during Trump administration.
The 2018 law reduced mandatory minimum sentences and imposed retroactive sentence reductions, releasing many incarcerated individuals. Former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was a leading figure in supporting the plan.
“One of the things I would want to do as president is go to Congress and seek the repeal of the First Step Act. If you are in jail, you should serve your time,” DeSantis said on “The Ben Shapiro Show.”
“The idea that they’re releasing people who have not been rehabilitated early, so that they can prey on people in our society is a huge, huge mistake,” he added.
The Florida governor, while a U.S. representative, voted for the initial House version of the bill but did not back it in its final form, which DeSantis campaign aide Christina Pushaw has described as “FAR more liberal than the original.”
DeSantis launched his campaign earlier this week, in a much-hyped Twitter Space with platform owner Elon Musk. Though the event attracted considerable online attendance, it was beset by technical difficulties that largely drew media focus away from his actual remarks.
Polling data, nonetheless, shows him consistently placing as the runner up to Trump in the Republican primary, far ahead of every other declared candidate. On average, however, he trails the former president by 32.6%, according to RealClearPolitics.
Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.
