Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) recently appeared on the conservative podcast The Benny Show, where he faced tough questions about a controversial statement from Tom Homan, a top adviser to President Donald Trump. Homan had called for the arrest of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) after she launched a campaign aimed at educating migrants about their civil rights.
Ocasio-Cortez’s “Know Your Rights” campaign was created to help migrants understand their legal protections in the face of Trump’s aggressive deportation efforts.
Homan, who serves as Trump’s “border czar,” criticized Ocasio-Cortez, suggesting that she was encouraging people to evade arrest by informing them of their rights. “She wants to go out saying she’s teaching people their constitutional rights, yeah, you can call it that. We all know what she’s up to. She wants to tell these people how they evade arrest,” Homan said during a Fox News appearance last month.
When asked about Homan’s statement on The Benny Show, Scott sided with Homan, claiming that Ocasio-Cortez’s actions might be illegal. “It sure seems like she’s violating the law,” Scott said. “If she’s done something wrong, I hope Tom Homan does his job and prosecutes her to the full extent of the law.”
Homan had earlier told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he had already asked the Justice Department to consider taking action against Ocasio-Cortez.
Scott’s comments quickly attracted a wave of backlash on social media, with many mocking his stance. Critics pointed out that Homan, who no longer holds a law enforcement role, had no legal authority to make such demands, and argued that teaching people about their rights could not be considered a crime.
Former immigration lawyer Aaron Reichlin-Melnick weighed in on the criticism, writing, “Tom Homan does not have a law enforcement job, he’s a White House advisor with an invented ‘border czar’ job title. In addition, it would be flatly unlawful for any prosecutor to charge a person for offering ‘know your rights’ presentations to members of their community.”
Other social media users also mocked Scott for his remarks.
Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann quipped, “Voldemort wants Hermione prosecuted,” referring to the fictional characters from Harry Potter as a way to highlight the absurdity of the situation.
“Rick Scott is the king of the Florida a–holes,” said retired psychotherapist Ron Savage.
Several people also pointed to Scott’s own past legal troubles, including his involvement in a major healthcare fraud case and his refusal to testify when investigated for Medicaid fraud. Ron Filipkowski, co-host of Uncovered, noted Scott’s past issues, saying, “Rick Scott, who took the 5th 75 times when he was investigated for Medicaid fraud, says AOC ‘should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law’ for advising people of their rights.”
Other critics, like financial expert Randolph Duke, pointed to the largest healthcare fraud case in U.S. history, which involved Scott’s company.
Watch the clip below:
Rick Scott on AOC: "It sure seems like she's violating the law … if she's done something wrong, I hope Tom Homan does his job and prosecutes her to the full extent of the law." pic.twitter.com/Qr7u3FJJbb
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 3, 2025
