Prior to the former president's Sunday campaign stop in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, the super PAC backing Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), Never Back Down, released a new video criticizing him for pardoning former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
The advertisement, titled "Welcome to Detroit," describes how Kilpatrick received a 23-year sentence for corruption and fraud in 2013 and how Trump commuted it on his final day in office in 2021.
The video makes reference to how millionaire businessman Peter Karmanos informed Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a former adviser in the White House, of the clemency request before Trump commuted his sentence.
The video declares, "For the elites in the swamp, that's just business as usual." "The rest of us must choose a president who will put an end to it," she said.
Trump pardoned more than 100 people before he left office, including Kilpatrick. Others included GOP fundraiser Elliot Broidy, rapper Lil Wayne, and his former chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Trump's White House issued a statement in 2021 stating that "President Trump commuted the sentence of the former Mayor of Detroit, Kwame Malik Kilpatrick." Because of his involvement in a racketeering and bribery scheme while holding public office, Mr. Kilpatrick has served roughly 7 years in prison. Mr. Kilpatrick has led Bible study sessions with his fellow prisoners while incarcerated and has taught classes on public speaking.
Trump released the video as he was getting ready to make a campaign stop in the state that he won in 2016. The Oakland County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner will feature the former president as a speaker on Sunday. The event will recognize him as the "Man of the Decade."
Additionally, it comes as DeSantis and his allies intensify their criticism of Trump regarding criminal justice in an effort to paint the former president as lenient toward crime. DeSantis announced last month that he would work to overturn the First Step Act, a bipartisan law that Trump signed in 2018 and which reduced mandatory minimum sentences, expanded credits for well-behaved prisoners seeking shorter sentences, and attempted to lower recidivism.
The advertisement, titled "Welcome to Detroit," describes how Kilpatrick received a 23-year sentence for corruption and fraud in 2013 and how Trump commuted it on his final day in office in 2021.
The video makes reference to how millionaire businessman Peter Karmanos informed Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a former adviser in the White House, of the clemency request before Trump commuted his sentence.
The video declares, "For the elites in the swamp, that's just business as usual." "The rest of us must choose a president who will put an end to it," she said.
Trump pardoned more than 100 people before he left office, including Kilpatrick. Others included GOP fundraiser Elliot Broidy, rapper Lil Wayne, and his former chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Trump's White House issued a statement in 2021 stating that "President Trump commuted the sentence of the former Mayor of Detroit, Kwame Malik Kilpatrick." Because of his involvement in a racketeering and bribery scheme while holding public office, Mr. Kilpatrick has served roughly 7 years in prison. Mr. Kilpatrick has led Bible study sessions with his fellow prisoners while incarcerated and has taught classes on public speaking.
Trump released the video as he was getting ready to make a campaign stop in the state that he won in 2016. The Oakland County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner will feature the former president as a speaker on Sunday. The event will recognize him as the "Man of the Decade."
Additionally, it comes as DeSantis and his allies intensify their criticism of Trump regarding criminal justice in an effort to paint the former president as lenient toward crime. DeSantis announced last month that he would work to overturn the First Step Act, a bipartisan law that Trump signed in 2018 and which reduced mandatory minimum sentences, expanded credits for well-behaved prisoners seeking shorter sentences, and attempted to lower recidivism.
