Ron DeSantis just got caught in one scandal that has Democrats fuming

Ron DeSantis has been making waves across the nation with his America First policies.

But now he’s facing pressure from an unexpected source.

And Ron DeSantis just got caught in one scandal that has Democrats fuming.

Florida faith leaders team up with the Left to attack DeSantis

Over 100 Florida faith leaders are trying to pressure Governor Ron DeSantis to abandon his support for the death penalty.

The group delivered a letter to the governor’s office in Tallahassee this week asking him to halt executions in the state.¹

Leading the charge was Tampa Pentecostal minister Demetrius Minor, who made the trek to the state capitol carrying the letter signed by Christian leaders from nearly every denomination.

“The death penalty is not about public safety. It’s about power. The governor alone decides who lives, who dies with no checks or balances. That is not justice. That’s what we call vengeance and it’s very dangerous,” Minor claimed.²

The timing of this push isn’t accidental.

Florida has emerged as the national leader in executions this year, with seven already completed and two more scheduled for July.³

That would set a record of nine executions in one year – the most since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976.

And there’s still five months left on the calendar.

But DeSantis isn’t backing down from his commitment to justice for the worst criminals.

He’s been signing death warrants at a record pace, especially after President Donald Trump issued his executive order encouraging states to expand the use of capital punishment.

DeSantis stands firm on capital punishment despite pressure

The Florida governor has consistently defended his use of the death penalty for the most heinous crimes.

“There are some crimes that are so horrific the only appropriate punishment is the death penalty,” DeSantis said during an Orlando appearance in May.⁴

“When you see these things come across your desk, these are brutal, brutal crimes,” he added. “This stuff is just overwhelmingly sadistic. It shocks your conscience.”

DeSantis has good reason to support capital punishment.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Florida’s seven executions represent one-third of all executions nationwide this year.⁵

The Sunshine State joins South Carolina and Texas as the three states responsible for more than half of America’s executions in 2025.

The governor has also worked with the Legislature to expand the use of capital punishment this year.

Lawmakers approved five death penalty bills, including legislation that permits Florida to utilize any execution method the courts haven’t ruled unconstitutional.⁶

They also approved a measure that mandates a death sentence for an “unauthorized alien” convicted of a capital felony.

This aggressive stance on law and order has made DeSantis a target for the Left and their allies.

The real agenda behind the faith leader push

The letter campaign against DeSantis reveals the true motivations of these so-called faith leaders.

Catholic deacon Andy Grosmaire shared his personal story about losing his daughter to murder, claiming the death penalty “only prolongs the pain and prevents closure for grieving families.”⁷

“Now, through the help of God and through our community through our faith, we found forgiveness for the young man who killed my daughter,” Grosmaire said.

But this soft-on-crime approach doesn’t represent the views of most Floridians who support justice for victims and their families.

The faith leaders also parroted typical Democrat talking points about “racial disparities” and “wrongful convictions” in the death penalty system.

They claimed Florida has freed 30 Death Row inmates who were later proven innocent, trying to use this as evidence the system is broken.

What they don’t mention is that these exonerations actually prove the system works – innocent people were identified and freed before any irreversible mistake was made.

Minister Demetrius Minor, who was actually appointed by DeSantis to his Faith and Community Initiative, is now using his position to undermine the governor’s policies.

“As a Christian, I believe in redemption and I also believe in the power of transformation and the ability of even the most broken lives to be made new,” Minor said.⁸

“But the death penalty is not a system of redemption. It is a system of retribution, of politics and of grave error.”

This sounds more like progressive talking points than biblical justice.

Trump’s influence drives DeSantis to action

The record-setting pace of executions comes after President Trump issued his “Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety” executive order in January.

The order encourages states to include more crimes eligible for a death sentence and instructed the attorney general to ensure states have a sufficient supply of lethal injections.⁹

Attorney General Pam Bondi has since vowed to seek and carry out the death penalty to the fullest degree.

DeSantis is simply following Trump’s lead in taking a tough stance on the worst criminals.

The governor presided over six executions in 2023 while running for the Republican presidential nomination, and he’s considered a strong contender for the GOP nomination in 2028.

This means he can’t afford to look weak on crime, especially when Trump is calling for increased use of the death penalty.

The faith leaders’ timing reveals their true agenda – they’re trying to pressure DeSantis to abandon his law-and-order stance just as he’s positioning himself for a future presidential run.

But DeSantis isn’t likely to cave to pressure from liberal activists masquerading as religious leaders.

Florida voters elected him to be tough on crime, and that’s exactly what he’s delivering.

The governor’s office received the letter politely but hasn’t indicated any willingness to change course.

With roughly 100 condemned inmates awaiting execution in Florida’s system, DeSantis has plenty of opportunities to continue delivering justice for victims and their families.¹⁰

The faith leaders can keep pushing their soft-on-crime agenda, but DeSantis knows that real justice sometimes requires the ultimate punishment for the most heinous crimes.

¹ USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida, “Religious leaders call on DeSantis to pause executions as he closes in on Florida record,” July 9, 2025. ² Ibid. ³ Ibid. ⁴ Ibid. ⁵ Ibid. ⁶ Ibid. ⁷ WFLA, “Faith leaders call on DeSantis to stop executions,” July 8, 2025. ⁸ Baptist News Global, “Florida faith leaders plead with DeSantis to slow executions,” July 8, 2025. ⁹ USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida, July 9, 2025. ¹⁰ Ibid.