Schiff calls DeSantis 'cowardly' for emulating Trump in appeal to GOP base

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MSNBC host calls out Adam Schiff for fundraising off of Trump indictment

MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell asked Rep. Adam Schiff if the indictment was becoming too politicized, noting he himself had raised donations off of it.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., slammed Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as "cowardly" on Sunday after the governor vowed his state would not assist in any extradition request by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg regarding the indictment of former President Donald Trump.

Schiff said DeSantis "will say anything, do anything in hopes of becoming president," though the governor has yet to officially announce a run.

"It says also a lot about the state of the GOP, and that is you have to attack the justice system you have to speculate about motives, you have to assume the worst," Schiff said.

The congressman made the comments on former White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s new MSNBC show after DeSantis slammed Trump’s indictment as politically motivated.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. (Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images / File)

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"The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct," DeSantis tweeted Thursday. "Yet, now he is stretching the law to target a political opponent."

DeSantis added, "Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, and then-President Donald Trump, right (Al Drago / Bloomberg via Getty Images / File)

Schiff said DeSantis, a Harvard Law graduate, is "not stupid" and "knows what his obligation is – to extradite someone who is accused of crime in another state."

"And in that statement as well, you have to disregard the law – say won't extradite someone accused of a crime in order to be competitive in the Republican primary," he said. "He goes beyond that and tries to tie George Soros to this, which is, you know, this not-so-thinly veiled antisemitic element that is very popular within certain portions of Trump’s base."

Schiff labeled DeSantis’ statement a "cowardly action" to try to "compete with Donald Trump on Trump's own turf."

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a 2024 election campaign rally in Waco, Texas, March 25, 2023. (Suzanne Cordeiro / AFP via Getty Images)

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"But one thing he also understands is: What’s the path to power in the GOP? And the path to power is now catering to the lowest common denominator. That’s, I think, a terrible use of his legal education," Schiff said. "It is putting ambition over any principle, scruple, nothing else matters except ambition."

DeSantis' team did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.