PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Florida's governor on Monday criticized a grand jury investigation into former President Donald Trump as being a "political spectacle," while simultaneously throwing jabs at Trump for paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign.
Speaking in Panama City, Gov. Ron DeSantis accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of having a history of downgrading felony charges, ignoring crimes, and causing the borough's crime rate to go up.
"If you have a prosecutor who is ignoring crimes happening every single day in his jurisdiction and he chooses to go back many, many years ago to try to use something about porn star hush money payments, that's an example of pursing a political agenda and weaponizing the office, and I think that's fundamentally wrong," DeSantis said.
WATCH: Florida's governor speaks about grand jury investigation
Trump on Saturday claimed on his Truth Social account that he expects to be arrested Tuesday and issued a call for his supporters to protest any legal action taken against him.
In a series of social media posts, Trump criticized the grand jury investigation and Bragg.
Despite denouncing the probe Monday, DeSantis took the opportunity to hurl an insult at Trump over his reported affair with Daniels, whom the former president has denied having sex with.
"I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. I can't speak to that," DeSantis said, triggering laughs from the crowd.
When asked if Florida would get involved in any possible extradition of Trump to New York — as the former president has been spending time at his Mar-a-Lago property on Palm Beach — the governor said the state is staying out of the investigation.
WATCH: WPTV's Michael Williams discusses possible arrest of Trump with attorney, political science professor
"We are not involved in this. Won't be involved in this. I have no interest in getting involved in some type of manufactured circus by some [George Soros-funded] D.A. He's trying to do a political spectacle," DeSantis said. "I've got real issues I've got to deal with here in the state of Florida."
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has not commented on the investigation, and even Trump's lawyer and spokesperson said there has been no communication from prosecutors.
Palm Beach Police Major John Scanlan said Monday the agency does not comment on "any strategic plan in advance of a possible event, other than we are prepared for whatever might happen."
Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, said in a statement to WPTV that deputies "will be assisting with traffic/supporters/protestors on the major roadways," but they will not be "serving papers."
The U.S. Secret Service is not commenting on specific protection plans for Trump.
