Dana Loesch on Florida sheriff's removal over Parkland shooting: He's a 'coward' and a 'thug'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel is a "coward" who did not deserve to be reinstated due to extreme incompetence, said nationally syndicated radio host Dana Loesch Thursday, following a Florida Senate vote to uphold his removal.
In January, Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., appointed Gregory Tony to replace Israel, accusing the sheriff of dereliction of duty for his officers' response to the 2018 Parkland high school shooting, where 17 people were killed.
Loesch appeared on "Fox & Friends" to discuss the decision, and said she's happy for the families of the victims because Israel's removal represented the closure they so desperately deserved.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I’m happy for all the families, because no matter where they fell on the political side of things, they were all united in making sure this guy goes," said the former NRA spokeswoman, who clashed with Israel at a televised town hall in Parkland a week after the massacre.
"I think Scott Israel is a thug. I think he's a coward," Loesch added. "If I was doing his job, I would have done a heck of a lot better than that man -- that sad excuse for a man -- would have done. But I am glad that these families were victorious."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Loesch said Israel's removal was paramount to maintaining public safety and claimed any support he received was strictly political in nature.
"I’m glad they got this dangerous man out of this office, and they have someone who actually has the training and has the desire to serve the people of Broward County," she said.
"The individuals that stood with Scott Israel, they did, unfortunately, fall on [the] political side of things. It was a party-line vote as I understand, originally."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The initial committee vote, which sent the issue to the full Senate, was along party lines, but several Democrats supported Israel's removal when the issue was put before to the entire chamber. The final tally was 25-15.
More from Media
- Hundreds of Harvard students protest 'liberal' school newspaper for calling ICE for comment on story
- Democrats are 'setting themselves up for utter failure' by running 'dirty impeachment,' Ari Fleischer says
- Ben Carson hits back at House Dem who wanted apology for 'hairy men' comment: 'Need to be more mature than that'
Loesch predicted Israel would run for re-election and said he feels a delusional sense of entitlement with regard to his wielding public power.
"He's going to run for re-election. He wants his seat back," she said. "He thinks it's his divine right to be in this seat."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Israel released a statement saying: "To the voters of Broward County, I’m sad to say politics won the day. Your vote has been stolen and the results of our 2016 election have been overturned. From 450 miles away, the governor substituted his judgment for yours and installed his own sheriff in Broward county."
Loesch agrees with Israel that something was stolen -- but it wasn't an election.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"You know what was stolen? The lives of those people that Scott Israel failed to protect," she said. "That's what was stolen."