Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (TFP File Photo) Conservative commentator Matt Walsh on Friday praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after Central Florida p
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh on Friday praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after Central Florida prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty of an accused child rapist — the first case of its kind under a new law enacted in May by the Republican governor.
Walsh also said any conservative who does not support the law and DeSantis for making it policy is a “fraud.”
“This is what law and order looks like,” he said.
Walsh was referring to the case of Joseph Andrew Giampa, who, as the Tampa Free Press reported on Thursday, was indicted for six counts of rape of a child under 12 and three counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child.
Read: Staffer For Maryland Dem Senator Out Of A Job After Gay-Sex Tryst In Senate Hearing Room
It’s unclear how investigators became aware of Giampa’s actions, but during questioning by deputies, he led them to a camper and showed them a video on a laptop computer. The video allegedly showed Giampa forcing the child to perform a sex act on him and then Giampa having forced sex with the child.
In a statement, State Attorney Bill Gladson’s office said, “The decision to pursue the highest penalty reflects the gravity of the charges and the State Attorney’s Office’s dedication to holding criminals accountable for their actions.”
On his podcast, Walsh admitted that he supports DeSantis and said enacting a law like this was a primary reason.
“You support [former President Donald] Trump, you support anybody else, that’s fine. But if you don’t at least give DeSantis credit for this, then you’re just a fraud. I don’t know what to tell you,” said Walsh.
“And if you follow anybody in conservative media and they’re not at least giving him some credit for this thing right here, then you’re following a fraud,” he added.
“Even if you don’t want Ron DeSantis to be president, you should be able to recognize this and say, OK, like he’s doing something important here,” Walsh continued.
On his show, Walsh has repeatedly called for child rapists to face the death penalty.
Walsh noted that Giampa’s case will likely draw a constitutional challenge under a previous U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Read: Senate Hearing Room Sex Scandal: Unwrapping The Controversy And Investigation
DeSantis also pointed that out when he signed the law, and said he wanted to challenge that precedent.
“Suffice it to say,” Walsh added, “this is a man who desperately deserves to be killed for his actions.”
The commentator called Giampa an “absolute monstrous scumbag” and argued it would be correct for Florida to take the case to the Supreme Court, if Giampa is convicted.
“We need to revisit that [previous ruling] because that is ridiculous,” said Walsh. “The idea that the only thing you can ever do that warrants a death penalty is to kill someone is absurd. Because there are obviously crimes that are at least just as bad as the kind of murders we put people to death for.
“I would certainly hope that almost everyone can agree that one of the crimes that’s as bad, if not worse than, the sort of murders people get put to death for is the rape of a child,” Walsh continued.
“When you get to that level, you have now reached like the basement of human evil, which doesn’t get worse than that. … And it seems clear to me that if we’re going to have the death penalty at all, which we should, that obviously you should be eligible for it if you have made it all the way into the deepest depths of human evil.”
“This is something that’s made possible because Ron DeSantis signed legislation which makes these scumbags eligible to be executed,” Walsh added. “This is what law and order looks like. And it’s not just saying things.”
“This is doing the right thing,” Walsh concluded. “To this point, no other Republican leader … has been willing to do this. He’s the only one. And if you won’t give him credit for that, then your priorities are not in the right place, to say the least.”
Android Users, Click To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.
We can’t do this without your help. Visit our GiveSendGo page and donate any dollar amount; every penny helps.
