SWFL leaders reacting to governor’s plan to bring back the Florida State Guard

The governor wants to bring back the Florida State Guard. He announced Thursday that it would be under his control.

Governor DeSantis said, “we also want to make sure that we have the flexibility and the ability needed to respond to events in our state in the most effective way possible.”

The Florida State Guard is a voluntary civilian military force that hasn’t been around in Florida since World War II.

The governor envisions the state guard supporting the Florida National Guard for emergencies like hurricanes.

Jonathan Martin, chairman of the Republican Party of Lee County said, “we can’t guarantee that the President of the United States is going to want to help a state that’s going to overwhelmingly vote for his opponent, whoever it is in 2024.”

State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith said, “that seems to be very dangerous political territory, given how Governor DeSantis has been so willing to use his position to further inflame the culture wars in Florida and in the United States.”

UCF political expert Aubrey Jewett said DeSantis’ intentions aren’t completely clear, but one thing is for sure, “Governor DeSantis is seeking either for political reasons or perhaps because he really thinks it’s a good idea or some combination of those two things, to show that he is separate from the national government, that he’s in charge, that he disagrees with the president on a number of policies.”

22 other states have some form of a state guard.