Florida Governor Ron DeSantis accused far-right social media account Libs of TikTok of lying about his state’s laws to “get clicks.”
Libs of TikTok posted a video from local Florida news station WPTV reporting on sex crimes committed by three undocumented immigrants on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said Marcos Felipe Ramirez, 31, Darniel Ordónez Jimenez, 30, and Andres Felipe Morales, 29, were apprehended after they allegedly abducted a woman and sexually battered her at two locations in Lake Worth on Monday. The sheriff’s office said that the three men were undocumented immigrants from Guatemala.
In the video from WPTV, the outlet reported that Morales was cited in January for not having a valid driver’s license. The state decided to abandon the charges in an agreement that Morales showed proof of a valid driver’s license and paid $100, according to records obtained by WPTV. It is unclear how Morales could have obtained a valid driver’s license if he was undocumented.
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Libs of TikTok wrote alongside the clip of the news broadcast: “Apparently FL also gives illegals drivers licenses! [President Joe] Biden’s open borders allows v*olent criminals to terrorize Americans.”
An X community note that gives users added context appeared below Libs of TikTok’s post and read: “Florida does not issue drivers’ licenses to illegals. Florida also no longer recognizes driver’s licenses from other states which knowingly issue them to illegal immigrants.”
DeSantis, a Republican who supports many conservative polices, replied to the far-right X account’s post: “@libsoftiktok got community noted for lying about FL law, which not only prohibits illegal aliens from getting drivers licenses but also prohibits recognition of licenses issued to illegal aliens from other states.
“Truth shouldn’t be a casualty of attempts to generate clicks and engagement farm.”
Newsweek reached out to DeSantis’ office and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office via email for comment. It also reached out to Libs of TikTok via X direct message for comment.
Morales is facing charges of sexual assault and false imprisonment, while Ramirez and Jimenez are facing two counts of felony criminal conspiracy.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw blamed the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border for the incident.
“Don’t think for a minute that what happens at the Mexican border doesn’t affect us here,” Bradshaw said on Wednesday. “Here you have three illegals that should’ve never been in this country that committed a very serious crime—kidnapping and sexual battery of a lady. They shouldn’t be here.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.