Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis traveled to New York City on Monday, kicking off a tour to highlight crime in the Democratic-led city. Not announced yet.
Speaking to law enforcement officials at a restaurant in Republican stronghold Staten Island, Mr. DeSantis said cities like New York are taking the wrong approach to fighting crime.
“Attitudes against crime and law and order and the police, those policies have failed,” Mr. DeSantis said in a live interview on Fox News from the event. “Florida’s policies have won.”
New York Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain who has criticized left-leaning Democrats, said Mr. It was the first stop on DeSantis’ tour, and the governor’s appearance on Mr. The arrangement was made at the behest of DeSantis, according to people familiar with the details. . He was on Monday in the Philadelphia suburb of Fort Washington and Elmhurst, Ill., near Chicago.
44 year old Mr. DeSantis, former President Donald J. He has captured the attention of Republican voters by portraying himself as a younger, more principled successor to Trump.
Governor Ron DeSantis and his administration
In the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, Mr. His speech on Monday in the only New York borough to support Trump was attended by leading state Republicans. He was introduced by former Long Island congressman Lee Seldin, who lost last year’s gubernatorial election to incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul, and he is Mr. Mr. Mr. Zeldin’s presence on Republicans in his former home state. suggested the possibility of loosening Trump’s grip.
Mr. DeSantis’ message resonates, said Joseph Borrelli, the City Council’s Republican minority leader, who attended the event at Prive Restaurant.
“His message was simple – that Florida has seen its lowest crime rate in 50 years “Because they haven’t enacted policies like bail reform and police pay,” he said. “Every time you open a newspaper, they’re talking about crime in New York and other big progressive cities.”
Comparing crime rates in Florida and New York is difficult because of changes in the way the data is collected, according to experts. New York City saw a drop in homicides last year, as did Miami Major Cities Leaders Association for a report this month, a group of police administrators. Three of Florida’s largest cities — Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa — saw homicides rise last year.
Mr. DeSantis’ trip immediately followed Mr. Criticized by Adams, who gave the governor a cold welcome to New York and said it might be different from his home state, Mr. Adams said. Along with abortion rights.
“We are happy to teach you about values while you are here,” said Mr. Adams said.
As Florida’s population continues to grow, many New Yorkers are leaving the city, Mr. Members of DeSantis’ staff responded.
“You can learn from Ron DeSantis,” Christina Pushau, Mr. DeSantis’ top communications assistant, He wrote on Twitter.
Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Adams has clashed in the past over social issues, the influx of immigrants and the two men’s appeals to the very wealthy in their respective states.
Many New Yorkers moved to Florida during the pandemic, including wealthy residents such as billionaire Carl Icahn. In 2020, New York City had a net loss of nearly 21,000 residents to Florida, nearly double the average annual net loss before the pandemic, according to Internal Revenue Service data.
Florida said on Fox News on Monday that Mr. DeSantis said Police offer $5,000 signing bonus to officers, and he encouraged officials from New York and Chicago to go stateside if they were unhappy. People often cite lower taxes and fewer epidemic restrictions as reasons to move to Florida, but the main reason is crime.
“The No. 1 thing you hear over and over again, ‘I need safer communities,'” he said, “is a lot of people leaving these areas that were once prosperous.”
Maggie Haberman Contributed report.
