(NewsNation) — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis visited a Chicago suburb Monday, where he spoke to police officers and criticized the “defund the police” movements in cities such as Portland and Minneapolis while pitching his state as a more friendly alternative for law enforcement personnel.
The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police hosted DeSantis at an invitation-only event in Elmhurst, a suburb about 20 miles west of downtown.
“We’ve put our money where our mouth is when it comes to standing up for law and order,” DeSantis told the group. “I’m here saying come to Florida if you want to be a part of this.”
He also reinforced his support for stricter criminal penalties and capital punishment.
“If you murder a police officer, you should get the death penalty,” DeSantis said.
The stop in Chicago was the third of the day. He also spoke to groups in New York City and Philadelphia, delivering the same message — that liberal leaders are failing their cities and contributing to high crime and low morale in police departments.
He touted a recruitment program that offers a $5,000 signing bonus to qualified law enforcement officials who relocate to Florida.
“It shows that when you come to Florida, you’re going to be treated with respect,” he said.
He also took aim at Illinois’ new no-cash bail policy that took effect at the beginning of the year.
“It’s been a total failure,” DeSantis said.
The speaking engagements were widely seen by political observers as related to the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
The Hill’s Julia Manchester said Sunday on “NewsNation Prime” that DeSantis is trying to introduce himself to more voters ahead of a possible presidential contest against former President Donald Trump.
The visit to Chicago adds fuel to the ongoing feud between DeSantis and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Prior to DeSantis’ arrival, Pritzker said the Florida governor is dangerous and his agenda has no place in Illinois.
“He doesn’t represent the values of the people in Illinois,” Pritzker said. “In fact, he is the antithesis of that. He’s demonstrated that he’s homophobic, that he has tendencies to promote racism.”
The visit also drew condemnation from Chicago mayoral candidates.
Paul Vallas, who is endorsed by the Chicago FOP, said he is disappointed in FOP leadership and there is no place in Chicago for a “right-wing extremist” like DeSantis.
Another mayoral candidate, Chuy Garcia said, “In Florida, Ron DeSantis has banned books, pushed a homophobic and anti-trans agenda, and questioned the integrity of our elections.”
During his speech to the Chicago FOP, DeSantis criticized “woke” politicians and policies he says are leading to low morale within police departments. He referenced the summer 2020 protests that came after the killing of George Floyd, as well as political movements to drastically revise police budgets.
“We were able to stand up and really nip that in the bud, so you never saw that in the state of Florida, with respect to ‘Defund the police,'” DeSantis said. “As soon as I saw (protests) in Minneapolis and started to see it spread to (places) like New York City, I called out the National Guard in Florida immediately. That’s what they should have done in Minneapolis … and now Minneapolis is a shell of its former self.”
DeSantis also touched on COVID-19 and education policies the state has enacted under his tenure.
He ended his speech by repeating a point he’s made in numerous others, saying “In Florida, we will never surrender to the woke mob.”
NewsNation affiliate WGN-TV contributed to this report.