DeSantis promotes fundraiser for man accused of strangling passenger to death on subway

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is raising money for Daniel Penny, the Marine Corps veteran who has been charged with strangling to death Jordan Neely, a homeless street performer, on the New York City subway on May 1.

“We must defeat the Soros-Funded DAs, stop the Left’s pro-criminal agenda, and take back the streets for law abiding citizens. We stand with Good Samaritans like Daniel Penny,” DeSantis tweeted on May 12, with a link to a fundraising page for Penny’s legal defense and an image of Penny in military fatigues. “Let’s show this Marine… America’s got his back.”

DeSantis is one of a number of Republican elected officials both defending and fundraising for Penny, who was charged on Friday with second-degree manslaughter in Neely’s death.

Cellphone video footage shows Penny putting Neely in a chokehold for several minutes until Neely becomes unconscious. Neely was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Republican politicians have claimed that Neely had been threatening passengers. CNN reported that, according to a witness, Neely hadn’t attacked anyone on the train and did not have any weapons on him.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) tweeted on May 12: “‘Subway Superman’ Daniel Penny is a HERO. Today, I will personally be donating to his legal defense fund on GiveSendGo.”

The fundraiser is organized by Penny’s attorney, Thomas Kenniff, who ran for Manhattan district attorney in 2021 and lost by 66.5 points.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office charged Penny.

“Penny is the guy who saved a bunch of NYC subway passengers from a lunatic who threatened to kill people on the subway,” Crenshaw tweeted on Friday, a baseless allegation: Bystanders said Neely did not threaten to kill anyone, but was instead asking for food. “The left’s definition of justice only protects criminals. Stop electing them.”

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) tweeted on Thursday: “Alvin Bragg is terrible person. [sic] It’s DESPICABLE to see that Marine veteran Daniel Penny will be charged. He kept the passengers on that subway car SAFE. He should be a FREE MAN!!”

Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) tweeted on Monday morning: “God bless our Marines. Daniel Penny has been wrongfully arrested for protecting himself and his fellow subway passengers. He should be released immediately!”

Penny was released on bail on Friday.

Penny is the latest person facing criminal charges who Republicans are lionizing.

GOP lawmakers’ support of Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot and killed two people at a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, helped him become a conservative media star.

Last month, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott pledged to pardon Daniel Perry, an Army sergeant who was convicted in April of murdering a protester at a Black Lives Matter rally in 2020.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.