DeSantis doesn't trust federal government to look into apparent assassination attempt against Trump. Florida will conduct own probe.

Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed doubts Monday about the federal government’s ability to fairly and objectively investigate the apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

His solution: Florida will conduct its own state investigation into the Sunday incident at Trump’s golf club near West Palm Beach.

DeSantis acknowledged that the federal government is pursuing the matter.

“I understand that the feds are involved, but, but we do believe that there were multiple violations of state law,” he said at a news conference in Orlando.

He amplified on why he said the state would conduct its own investigation. “We also believe that there’s a need to make sure that, that the truth about all this comes out in a way, you know, that’s credible.

“I mean I look at the federal government with all due respect to them, you know, those same agencies that are prosecuting Trump in that jurisdiction are now going to be investigating this. I just think that that may not be the best thing for this country.

“Nevertheless, they have their prerogative, but we have our prerogative,” DeSantis said.

The governor didn’t provide details about how that investigation would proceed. “We’ll be making an announcement further along those lines in the ensuing days.”

The federal government has moved swiftly. As DeSantis was speaking at his news conference, the suspect was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

DeSantis’ reference to federal agencies refers to the special counsel investigation into Trump’s possession of classified documents after he left office, which is being handled in federal court in South Florida, and the investigation into his attempt to overturn the 2020 election, which is being prosecuted in Washington, D.C.

The special counsel is an arm of the U.S. Department of Justice, and the FBI has assisted its efforts.

Violations of state law are most often handled by local police and sheriff’s offices and by county state attorneys. State law enforcement agencies also investigate criminal activity. DeSantis didn’t offer a view about whether the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office or the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office could handle the investigation.

The Trump International Golf Club has a West Palm Beach street address, but it’s actually located in unincorporated Palm Beach County near Palm Beach County International Airport. That’s an area under jurisdiction of Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. Trump praised Bradshaw, by name, in a social media post on Sunday for the way he and his agency handled the incident.

The governor’s comments Monday amplified what he said Sunday night on social media.

“The State of Florida will be conducting its own investigation regarding the attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club,” DeSantis posted. “The people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee.”

DeSantis, speaking Monday morning, said he had not talked to Trump since the incident on Sunday.

The two were once strong allies, with Trump’s endorsement propelling DeSantis to his first term victory in 2018. They then became political enemies when DeSantis unsuccessfully sought the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

DeSantis has since come back into the Trump fold, and is widely believed to be a likely candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028.

The FBI and other law enforcement agencies were once lionized by Republicans and viewed skeptically by some Democrats, especially liberals concerned about the agency’s overreaching and violation of civil liberties decades ago. But that’s been flipped during the Trump era as the former president and his supporters have alleged the FBI and other agencies are part of a “deep state” partially motivated by opposition to him.