DeSantis hits CAIR and antifa with bogus ‘terrorist’ labels

The state of Florida remains a cesspool for some of the conservative movement’s most virulent racism and xenophobia.

This Video Is Trending Right Now →

As Republicans have wedded themselves to the Israeli government amid its ongoing bombardment of Gaza — devastation that a United Nations panel has called a genocide — some in the party, especially in Florida, have ramped up their attacks on Muslims.

In recent years, Reps. Randy Fine and Brian Mast have arguably become faces of the Sunshine State’s dark bigotry with their remarks about Muslims and Palestinians, while Florida officials — such as Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier — have used their offices to launch illiberal attacks on Muslim people and groups who advocate on their behalf.

These attacks continued Wednesday, when DeSantis officially declared the Council on American-Islamic Relations a terrorist organization. There is no proof supporting this designation, but CAIR, much like the anti-racist Southern Poverty Law Center, has long been targeted by conservatives.