Ron DeSantis attends an event at the Freedom Tower in Miami where he named Barbara Lagoa to the Florida Supreme Court, January 9, 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

(JTA) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has refused to condemn a Nazi rally that took place in Orlando over the weekend, claiming that those asking him to condemn the Nazi rally are trying to “smear” him.

A video of the Orlando rally that spread on social media Monday showed protesters standing on a highway overpass in front of banners of swastikas. The Orlando Sentinel reported that the group shouted antisemitic slurs, and an array of bipartisan Florida politicians, including Republican Sen. Rick Scott and Democratic House Rep. Val Demings, condemned the gathering.

But DeSantis claimed those asking him to condemn the Nazis tried to “use this as some type of political issue,” according to CNN. “We’re not playing their game,” he added.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Among those calling on DeSantis to condemn the Nazi rally was the Anti-Defamation League’s Florida office.

“We expect any public official, especially a voice for @GovRonDeSantis, to address the fears of the Jewish community thoughtfully – not with this troubling and careless approach,” the branch said in a tweet Monday.

Nikki Fried, Florida’s Jewish agriculture commissioner running for governor as a Democrat, said she was “horrified but not surprised” at DeSantis’ lack of condemnation. She recently compared DeSantis to Hitler.

The ADL tweet, and other calls for DeSantis to speak out against the rally, came after the governor’s spokesperson Christina Pushaw asked in a tweet that she later deleted whether the rallies might have simply been in disguise.

The Orlando rally was one of several antisemitic incidents to unfold over the weekend across North America, just a few weeks after the hostage attack on a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. A Jewish school and a synagogue in Chicago were vandalized and swastikas were painted on a train station in Washington, D.C. A rally in Ottawa against COVID-19 vaccine mandates also featured swastikas.

—
The post Florida Gov. DeSantis won’t condemn Nazi rally in Orlando appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount