Recent credible threats against a trio of prolific commentators who are prominent on the Right don’t completely surprise Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Nicholas Ray of Texas is being extradited to Florida on charges of extortion, written threats to kill, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device after threatening the Babylon Bee’s Seth Dillon, Newsweek’s Josh Hammer, and Laura Loomer. DeSantis said as Governor he faces similar threats “all the time.”
“That’s just the nature of it. So it’s something that’s been pretty consistent since I’ve been in office,” DeSantis said.
“But in terms of going for people that are in the political process, not even elected officials, just people that are influencers or commentators, yeah, I think if you compare that to 10 years ago, I think you absolutely will see an increase,” DeSantis said on “Fox & Friends.”
Announcing the move to extradite Ray, Attorney General James Uthmeier spotlighted the “multiple, specific death threats made to Jewish conservative media members who live in Florida.”
Dillon pointed out the threat earlier this month, noting Ray’s misbegotten contention that he was involved in the murder of Charlie Kirk.
Hammer said he was thankful to Uthmeier, whom he called a friend. “I am grateful as ever to be a Floridian,” Hammer wrote.
Loomer has also spoken out publicly about the incident.
“I became one of Nicholas Ray’s targets because he was radicalized by the false accusations that I am a foreign agent, and then he proceeded to make a serious and credible threat against my life and the lives of (Hammer and Dillon) over his hatred of Jewish people,” Loomer wrote.
She went on to say it was “sad that this young man decided to throw his life away over conspiracy theories on the internet.”
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