Ron DeSantis Says Drivers Have Right to Hit Protesters-Is He Right?

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been accused of "overstating the protections that drivers have" if they hit individuals who surround their vehicles during a demonstration.
Tray Gober, the managing director of the law firm Lee, Gober & Reyna, told Newsweek that the governor appeared to "conflate civil protections with criminal immunity" and risked "sending a dangerous message."
Since June 6, Los Angeles has been rocked by a series of protests against Immigration and Custom Enforcement raids. Some of the demonstrations have turned violent, with individuals burning vehicles and throwing rocks at the police. In response, President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines against the wishes of California Governor Gavin Newsom. Anti-ICE protests have since spread to other cities, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott has also deployed National Guard troops in his state.
On Saturday, the Trump administration is holding a military parade in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. The "No Kings" movement has organized more than 1,500 demonstrations across the country to take place on the day, which is also Trump's 79th birthday. A large number of protests nationwide could mean increased interactions between drivers and people demonstrating on roads.
During an appearance on The Rubin Report on Wednesday, DeSantis said drivers could legally hit demonstrators with their vehicles if fleeing for their safety.
"We also have a policy that if you're 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. "And so if you drive off and you hit one of these people, that's their fault for impinging on you."
Gober, who has worked as a criminal defense attorney and covered civil cases involving vehicle collisions, said the governor's comments were based on a misunderstanding of the law.
"Governor DeSantis' comments appear to conflate civil protections with criminal immunity, which are distinct in both intent and effect," Gober said. "Florida's HB 1 passed in 2021 provides an affirmative defense in civil lawsuits for injuries caused to someone 'acting in furtherance of a riot.' But that is not the same as granting drivers a carte blanche to hit protesters without consequence."
In 2021, DeSantis signed House Bill 1, nicknamed the "anti-riot" bill, into law. The legislation grants drivers some civil protection if they hit protesters with their vehicles while feeling threatened but not criminal immunity.
"In a civil context, the Florida statute (HB1) provides that if a person is injured while participating in a riot, and they then sue for damages, the defendant can raise the plaintiff's riot participation as an affirmative defense," Gober said, adding: "In a criminal context, HB 1 does not create blanket immunity for drivers who injure protesters. Florida criminal law still requires that use of force is justified only when it meets the legal standard for self-defense."
"So while DeSantis's rhetoric suggests a driver can simply 'drive off' and harm someone without legal risk, that's not what the law actually says," he continued.
Gober added, "DeSantis is overstating the protections drivers have. The law he's citing offers limited civil protection in very specific cases. It does not give blanket criminal immunity for injuring or killing protesters. It also risks sending a dangerous message that civil unrest justifies indiscriminate harm."
Bryan Griffin, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' communications director, told Newsweek: "It's simple: don't protest in Florida by blocking traffic or threatening people in their cars, and you won't have a problem. Even you Newsweek activists and your Experts™ should be able to keep that straight."
Lorella Praeli, a co-president of Community Change Action, which is backing Saturday's protest, previously told Newsweek: "Look around-Trump and his allies are deploying the tools of authoritarianism: silencing dissent, targeting immigrants, punishing oversight, and even staging military displays for personal glorification. These aren't isolated incidents; they're part of a broader effort to delegitimize democratic norms.
"This isn't normal. It's manufactured chaos, designed to instill fear and consolidate power. When a sitting U.S. Senator is handcuffed for asking a question, it should be a five-alarm fire for anyone who believes in democracy. We have to name this moment for what it is-and organize with the clarity and courage it demands."
Demonstrations are expected across the U.S. on Saturday. Organizers of the No Kings protests have said: "All No Kings events adhere to a shared commitment to nonviolent protest and community safety. Organizers are trained in de-escalation and are working closely with local partners to ensure peaceful and powerful actions nationwide."
Related Articles
Why Flags Are at Half-Mast Across Florida TodayRon DeSantis Says Floridians Have Right to Hit Protesters With CarsRon DeSantis' PAC Defends Musk as Billionaire's Feud With Trump ExplodesFlorida Bridge Displays Pride Colors in Defiance of Ron DeSantis
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

New York Post

10 minutes ago

• New York Post

Stephen Colbert floats masked ICE agents possibly getting shot in states with ‘Stand Your Ground' laws

'The Late Show' host Stephen Colbert questioned whether 'Stand Your Ground' laws put masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at risk of being shot during an interview with Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., on Thursday. As Democrats across the country continue to criticize the federal agency's use of masks and civilian clothing, the liberal host questioned whether officers are being put in danger in 'Stand Your Ground' states like Florida. Advertisement Colbert said he was alarmed because, 'it does feel like kidnapping, because, as you said, unmarked windowless vans will show up. Men will get out wearing masks… no identifying patches, do not identify themselves. They don't have badges.' 'They grab people and put them in a van, in a state like Florida that has a 'Stand Your Ground' law and people can open carry,' he went on. 'It's dangerous for those officers, not just for the people, because why wouldn't you think that you were being attacked?' Despite Colbert's claim, open carry is not legal in Florida. It is allowed under certain, limited circumstances, such as hunting or fishing. In February 2025, however, Governor Ron DeSantis urged the legislature to support open carry. Advertisement Earlier in the interview, Colbert asked Frost to clarify what he meant when he called the Trump administration's last round of deportations a 'taxpayer-funded kidnapping operation.' The Florida congressman argued that the 'mass deportations' promised by President Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign could hardly be classified as deportations due to a lack of legal due process for those being deported. 3 Colbert questioned whether officers are being put in danger in 'Stand Your Ground' states like Florida. Fox News 3 Border Patrol partners arrested a Mexican national wanted for murder in Mexico. @HSILosAngeles/X Advertisement 'There is no legal process for people,' he claimed. 'We have ICE federal agents pulling up, terrorizing our communities, hopping out of unmarked vans, stealing — and yes, kidnapping people. Not giving them their day in court and yes — human trafficking them to other nations, other countries around the entire world.' Frost also questioned why agents felt the need to conceal their identities in the first place. 'My other thing is, if you are proud of what you're doing, why do you have to wear a mask to do it?' he asked. 'If you are operating within the bounds of the law, you should not have to cover your face. That is the problem with ICE and with the administration right now is this whole thing is happening in the shadows.' 3 Los Angeles Police Department and protestors and ICE agents were gathered at an entrance to Dodger Stadium as ICE attempted to use the stadium parking lot as a staging area. Jonathan Alcorn/ZUMA / Advertisement Earlier this month, Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Todd Lyons slammed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on 'Fox & Friends' for their 'disgusting' rhetoric about agents masking up, which he felt put him and his officers in danger. Wu compared ICE agents wearing masks to members of the neo-Nazi group the Nationalist Social Club-131 (NSC-131) during a press conference on June 5, amid government claims that ICE agents have faced a 413% increase in assaults. Jeffries has called for the identification of ICE agents who perpetrate 'aggressive overreach.'

Politico

19 minutes ago

• Politico

VOA's final reckoning

Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook: Remaking Government, your guide to Donald Trump's unprecedented overhaul of the federal government — the key decisions, the critical characters and the power dynamics that are upending Washington and beyond. Send tips | Subscribe | Email Sophia | Email Irie | Email Ben The Trump administration today sent out termination notices to hundreds of employees at Voice of America. Included in that group are employees working for the network's Persian-language service who were called back from administrative leave just last week in the wake of Israel's attack on Iran, according to two people familiar with the decision. Today's move — which makes official what has long been expected since hundreds of contract employees got termination notices in early May — is the latest step in the Trump administration's sweeping agenda to downsize the federal government, tamp down on the press and remake America's role in the global order. Critics of the administration's focus on VOA have said that the network has played a vital role in combatting disinformation abroad. But the administration says these cuts are in service of 'cutting waste' and putting 'American taxpayers first.' 'Today, we took decisive action to effectuate President Trump's agenda to shrink the out-of-control federal bureaucracy,' senior presidential adviser KARI LAKE said in a statement. The action eliminates 1,400 jobs, roughly an 85 percent cut to the workforce. The last day on payroll for the employees will be Labor Day. Those affected by today's cuts who are not eligible for mandatory retirement, are being terminated without severance pay — contradicting VOA's parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media's policy on severance, according to one of the people. 'As our legal team fight[s] for our rights under the law, we call on Congress to continue its long tradition of bipartisan support for VOA,' the named plaintiffs in VOA's lawsuit against the Trump administration said in a statement. 'Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and extremist groups are flooding the global information space with anti-American propaganda. Do not cede this ground by silencing America's voice.' All of the lead plaintiffs — former White House bureau chief PATSY WIDAKUSWARA, former press freedom editor JESSICA JERREAT and former director of strategy and performance assessment KATE NEEPER — received their RIF notices today. Lake said in her statement that 250 employees will remain across VOA, the the Office of Cuba Broadcasting and their parent company, USAGM. She noted that none of the OCB's 33 employees were terminated. The government-funded network, which was founded 80 years ago to combat Nazi disinformation during World War II, has — largely unsuccessfully — fought the administration's decision in court. The administration has sent RIF notices to employees in small batches for weeks. But today's notice could deliver the coup de grâce for VOA. MESSAGE US — West Wing Playbook is obsessively covering the Trump administration's reshaping of the federal government. Are you a federal worker? A DOGE staffer? Have you picked up on any upcoming DOGE moves? We want to hear from you on how this is playing out. Email us at westwingtips@ Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe! POTUS PUZZLER Who was the first president to have a phone installed in the White House? (Answer at bottom.) Agenda Setting GET OUTTA HERE: The Trump administration has put new restrictions on members of Congress' access to immigration enforcement field offices after several Democratic lawmakers were refused access or even arrested, Reuters' JONATHAN ALLEN reports. New DHS guidelines also say ICE has sole power over whether to deny or cancel a tour of a detention center by a member of Congress. Federal law prohibits DHS from preventing members of Congress from entering any facility 'used to detain or otherwise house aliens,' and lawmakers do not have to give DHS prior notice of a planned visit. But the new guidelines say that the law does not apply to ICE field offices, although immigrants are often detained at ICE field offices before being transferred to an ICE jail. TIME TO MERGE: The Trump administration is considering whether to transfer some programs from USDA's Rural Development agency to the Small Business Administration, according to documents obtained by our MARCIA BROWN. SBA staff have drafted an executive order for President DONALD TRUMP, which would give SBA control over three programs in the Rural Business Cooperative Service, which offers grants, loan guarantees and other capital products. However, USDA officials have pushed back on the proposal in a briefing memo meant for Agriculture Secretary BROOKE ROLLINS, arguing that SBA is not equipped to handle those programs and that it would detract from the administration's priorities. (WILD)FIRE AT WILL: The Trump administration's changes to federal wildfire response have left public health, meteorology, forest management and disaster experts concerned that the nation's wildfire defenses will be decimated, our ZACK COLMAN reports. In an executive order, Trump moved to consolidate federal firefighting personnel and ramp up the use of AI and other technologies to identify and respond to wildfires. He's also looking for state and local officials to take more responsibility for wildfire response. The administration is 'doubling down on a failed approach,' said DAVE CALKIN, who served 25 years in the U.S. Forest Service before leaving in April through the deferred resignation program. 'This approach is incredibly hard on the firefighters,' he said. 'The firefighters are not well.' WHO'S IN, WHO'S OUT THE PLANS FOR EPA: The EPA has laid out more details on Trump's fiscal blueprint to slash the agency's funding, gut environmental justice efforts and downsize its workforce, our KEVIN BOGARDUS reports. The agency's 736-page justification to Congress for the fiscal 2026 plan was posted online recently. EPA's environmental justice work, designed to aid underserved communities struggling with pollution, would be axed. Zero dollars nor personnel are allocated to community grants, technical assistance and coordination with the Superfund program for that work. Musk Radar BACK TO THE BASICS: ELON MUSK, who has been relatively quiet on his social media platform X in recent weeks, did not mince words about top Trump adviser SERGIO GOR both Thursday and today. Musk on Thursday called Gor — who played a role in his split with the president — a 'snake,' our GISELLE RUHIYYIH EWING reports. And this afternoon, Musk said that Gor is 'breaking the law,' referring to a New York Post story from this week that found Gor did not turn in his Standard Form 86, a questionnaire of more than 100 pages required for officials who need security clearances. In the Courts MORE ON USAGM: A federal judge today ordered USAGM to pay the money it owes to Open Technology Fund, a tech nonprofit promoting global internet freedom, for the rest of the fiscal year, our ANTHONY ADRAGNA reports. Judge ROYCE LAMBERTH of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, ordered the agency, and Lake, to immediately dispense more than $2 million in funds appropriated by Congress to OTF and to pay out another $2 million through the rest of fiscal 2025. What We're Reading Seeking Jobs and Purpose, Fired Federal Workers Form New Networks (NYT's Eileen Sullivan) White House floats a new funding trick — and GOP lawmakers grimace (POLITICO's Jennifer Scholtes) A former DOGE employee gives his account of working for the operation (NPR's Bobby Allyn) POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER In 1877, former President RUTHERFORD B. HAYES had the first telephone installed in the telegraph room in what was then known as the Executive Mansion, our ANDY GLASS reported in 2017. While Hayes embraced the new technology, few people called him. The phone, whose number was '1,' initially could only be reached by the Treasury Department. Fifty years later, HERBERT HOOVER had the first phone line installed at his desk in the Oval Office. Former President BARACK OBAMA recounted Hayes' thoughts on the invention in 2012: 'It's a great invention but who would ever want to use one?'

Newsweek

20 minutes ago

• Newsweek

Swing Voters Skeptical of Trump Involving US in Iran-Israel Conflict—Data

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Swing voters are resistant to President Donald Trump potentially involving the United States in the conflict between Iran and Israel, according to data exclusively shared with Newsweek by Impact Social. Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment. Why It Matters Trump is weighing whether to involve the U.S. in the conflict, which escalated earlier this month when Israel launched new strikes against Iran aimed at diminishing its nuclear capabilities. Israel, as well as the U.S., has warned Iran may be close to having the ability to build nuclear weapons. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi told Fox News there is no proof Iran has plans to create a nuclear weapon. However, many Americans would not necessarily be on board with the U.S. joining the conflict, recent surveys suggest, putting Trump in a challenging situation. The White House said on Thursday that Trump will make a decision within two weeks, and European leaders engaged with Iran on Friday in hopes of de-escalating the situation. What To Know Swing voters are skeptical of the U.S. joining the conflict, according to the Impact Social data. The data stem from Impact Social's analysis of social media discussions among swing voters, including disillusioned Trump voters, centrists, and Obama-Trump voters, using social media discussions dating back to May 2016 to identify more than 40,000 swing voters. Only 9 percent of posts analyzed indicated pro-war sentiment, while 28 percent were anti-war. The majority, at 63 percent, were more neutral, such as sharing articles about the situation. Of those sharing anti-war sentiment, 24 percent expressed it would be "reckless" to enter the conflict, while 18 percent raised concerns about the U.S. being "used by" Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Fifteen percent expressed blame toward Trump himself over dismantling the Obama administration's Iran nuclear deal. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on June 5, 2025. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on June 5, Snape of Impact Social wrote that anti-war swing voters "voters draw parallels to Iraq and Afghanistan, accusing Trump of repeating past mistakes." "Many fear the U.S. is lurching toward 'World War III,' with Iran seen as a more formidable opponent and the stakes higher than in previous engagements," he wrote. "Some accuse the Trump administration of twisting intelligence to fit a pro-war narrative—an eerie echo, they note, of 2003." Some swing voters also feel the U.S. entering the conflict would be a betrayal of Trump's pledge of no new wars on the campaign trail, Snape wrote. "Other critics target Trump directly, blaming him for dismantling the Iran nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration. This reversal, they argue, eliminated a functional—if imperfect—deterrent to Iranian nuclear ambitions, replacing it with a confrontational strategy that has now spiraled out of control," he wrote. Among those who shared pro-war posts, 35 percent believe it is now time to "finish the job," viewing Iran potentially having nuclear weapons as a "direct threat to the U.S. and Israel." Thirty percent praised Trump's leadership. Nineteen percent shared general anti-Iran sentiment. Those voters "trust him to manage the situation and protect America." "For them, Trump is a commander who understands the stakes, one who has 'saved America before' and will do so again," he wrote. "Many cite previous Iranian aggression, including proxy attacks on U.S. troops, as justification for action." Snape said that what is most striking is the "deep skepticism cutting across both left and right-leaning swing voters." "This is not a reflexive anti-war response but rather a specific rejection of the idea that U.S. interests are served by joining Israel's military campaign. Critics cite historical precedent, perceived manipulation by foreign leaders, and fears of another endless entanglement in the Middle East," he said. What People Are Saying President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday: "I don't want to fight either. I'm not looking to fight. But if it's a choice between fighting and them having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do, and maybe we won't have to fight." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran, in a public address: "The Americans should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage. The U.S. entering in this matter is 100 percent to its own detriment. The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter." Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, Wednesday on X (formerly Twitter): "The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. That's why I filed a resolution to require a debate and vote in Congress before we send our nation's men and women in uniform into harm's way." What Happens Next Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with European diplomats in Geneva on Friday. Araghchi said Iran would not engage with the U.S. while Israeli strikes continued.