Florida AG to Newsmax: DeSantis’ ‘Freedom’ Mantra Resonates

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Florida AG to Newsmax: DeSantis' 'Freedom' Mantra Resonates

(Newsmax/"Eric Bolling The Balance")

By Jay Clemons | Wednesday, 09 November 2022 09:58 PM EST

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has had a front-row seat for Gov. Ron DeSantis' political rise over the past four years.

She was present in 2018 when then-candidate DeSantis (a state congressman at the time) won the governor's office by just over 33,000 votes.

Moody also saw DeSantis blitz Democrat challenger Charlie Crist 19.4 percentage points in Tuesday night's gubernatorial clash — with DeSantis amassing more than 59% of the overall vote, and winning the traditionally deep-blue Miami-Dade County by 11%.

"Society will flourish … when you're emphasizing freedom," Moody told Newsmax Wednesday evening, while appearing on "Eric Bolling The Balance."

"We've been saying 'Florida leads' for the last two years. We always make decisions with an eye on 'how do we also protect a person's civil liberties?'" added Moody.

As part of that leadership structure, Moody said that DeSantis' office remains focused on being "proactive" and "accountable" to its constituents, whether it's emphasizing the need for law and order, keeping communities safe, allowing schools to remain open during times of crisis or encouraging Florida businesses to grow with minimal restrictions.

Moody said the DeSantis administration also learned what not to do from various left-leaning states. One prime example is crafting more stringent laws against retail mob threat.

"The pandemic brought forth a lot of [logistical challenges], and I applaud our strong governor," said Moody.

In the Newsmax interview, Moody sidestepped any questions pertaining to DeSantis' plans for pursuing the White House in two years.

Instead, Moody gave credit to one of DeSantis' first big mentors on the national political scale: former President Donald Trump, who might also become a DeSantis opponent in the 2024 Republican primaries — if the two run concurrently.

"Donald Trump had great policies" as president, said Moody. "And now, unfortunately, we're having to deal with [President] Joe Biden's calamitous policy implementation."

Moody was then asked if the "Trump Effect" has helped DeSantis garner more prominence through the years.

"Was there an effect in how [Trump's] policies helped us? Absolutely. My job changed dramatically in January in 2021," said Moody.

And not necessarily for the better.

"It changed dramatically, and I saw that directly when Trump was no longer in office," recalled Moody, while lamenting how the Biden administration favored policies that encouraged unrest at the U.S.-Mexico border, helped drugs pour into America and curtailed access to prime energy sources — such as the Keystone Pipeline.

"And things [got] out of control, as a result," said Moody.

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