Ron DeSantis Really Is Forming His Own Personal Army

The Florida state guard established by Ron DeSantis under the guise of a civilian disaster relief force is instead being trained as an armed, combat-ready militia under his personal command, according to military veteran recruits who have quit the program. Sounds like the federal government should intervene. Via Portside.org:

Volunteers have been trained for military combat, including the use of weapons; khaki polo shirts and pants were replaced by camouflage uniforms; and recruits were “barked at” by boot camp instructors at the joint training base who woke them before dawn and imposed lights-out by 10pm.

Additionally, DeSantis’s compliant, Republican-led state legislature has contributed to the change of direction, this year approving a massive expansion in the force’s funding, size and equipment. Its budget increased from $10m to $107.5m, and its maximum size more than tripled from 400 recruits to 1,500.

On the governor’s shopping list were helicopters, boats, police powers and reportedly even cellphone-hacking technology for a force outside of federal jurisdiction, and accountable directly to him.

If only the Florida state legislature wasn't full of businessmen and real estate developers who will rubberstamp anything DeSantis wants. (And people think DeSantis is an improvement over Trump? Hah!)

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