Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is making headlines again — this time for telling drivers they won’t be held responsible if they run over protesters, as long as they believe their safety is at risk.
“If you are driving on one of those streets and a mob comes and surrounds your vehicle and threatens you, you have a right to flee for your safety,” DeSantis said in a newly released episode of The Rubin Report podcast. “And so if you drive off and you hit one of these people, that’s their fault for impinging on you.”
The governor didn’t mince words: “You have a right to defend yourself in Florida.”
His comments come just before a wave of protests, dubbed the “No Kings” movement, is set to take place across the country, including multiple demonstrations planned in Florida. At least one Florida sheriff has already issued a warning, saying that if protesters turn violent or threaten police, they’ll be left “graveyard dead.”
The protests are largely aimed at federal immigration enforcement, especially recent ICE raids. The largest actions have unfolded in Los Angeles, where street blockades and rising tensions prompted President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass have fiercely opposed the move.
While traffic disruptions have been a concern, there’s a darker trend emerging: drivers using their cars as weapons. In recent years — and again during the latest protests — vehicles have plowed into crowds, causing serious injuries and deaths.
DeSantis has long taken a hard stance against disruptive demonstrations. In 2021, he signed a controversial law that gives legal protection to drivers who hit protesters while “fleeing” a dangerous situation. Critics say the law encourages violence and chills free speech. DeSantis calls it common sense.
“You have no right to commandeer streets,” he said. “First of all, it’s just wrong; second of all, that has huge impacts on people’s quality of life.”
With his latest remarks, DeSantis is sending a clear message ahead of the upcoming protests: in Florida, if you’re scared and behind the wheel, you won’t be the one to blame.
