Florida, US - Ron DeSantis, the 2024 presidential hopeful and rightwing governor of Florida, has ignited widespread condemnation due to his statement that, if elected to the White House, he intends to "start slitting throats" within the country's federal bureaucracy from his first day in power.
Tony Reardon, the president of the National Treasury Employees Union, branded the comments made by hardline Republicans as "repugnant and unworthy of the presidential campaign trail."
According to The Guardian, Everett Kelley, President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), expressed, "Governor DeSantis' threat to 'start slitting throats' of federal employees is perilous, repulsive, disgraceful, and disqualifying."
Various commentators have also weighed in. Columnist Max Boot characterized DeSantis' words as "unhinged," while Bill Kristol, founder of the conservative site Bulwark, remarked that the governor was "vying to dominate the extremist lane in the Republican primary."
Despite facing mounting legal challenges, Trump solidifies his lead over DeSantis with an unprecedented 54% support
DeSantis has consistently secured the second position in the Republican primary. However, he trails behind Donald Trump by a considerable margin of over 30 points in most polling averages. This discrepancy remains significant even as the former president faces a growing number of legal troubles, including 78 criminal charges.
The comment about "slitting throats" was made by DeSantis during an event in New Hampshire, the second state to cast its vote, as reported by The Guardian.
DeSantis has previously employed the phrase "slitting throats." Just last week, he expressed to rightwing columnist John Solomon his desire to appoint a defense secretary who can "slit some throats" and demonstrate a strong, assertive demeanor.
Criticizing DeSantis' remarks, Kelley emphasized, "Federal employees, more than a third of whom are veterans donning their second uniform in service to their nation, have dedicated their lives to serving fellow Americans."
"They support our military, provide healthcare to our nation's veterans, enforce our laws, safeguard our communities, deliver benefits to America's most vulnerable citizens, ensure air travel safety, protect public health and the environment, and much more," Kelley added.
"These public servants deserve respect and acknowledgment from our nation's leaders. No federal employee should be subjected to death threats from anyone, particularly from someone aspiring to lead the US government. Governor DeSantis should retract his irresponsible statement," Kelley concluded.