Al Sharpton Condemns DeSantis for Mocking Hakeem Jeffries' Voice in Redistricting Fight

MSNBC host and activist Al Sharpton condemned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday for impersonating House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

The criticism came amid an ongoing redistricting battle in Florida that has sparked a feud over political rhetoric. Just days before an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, Jeffries warned DeSantis against redrawing the state's congressional map. "We are in an era of maximum warfare. Everywhere, all the time," Jeffries said.

He also told Florida Republicans, "F around and find out."

At a news conference during the redistricting fight, DeSantis imitated Jeffries' voice and bombastic style. "We're gonna do maximum warfare against Republicans," DeSantis said in Jeffries' voice. "Florida Republicans, you F around, you gonna find out."

DeSantis added that he was taking up Jeffries' invitation to "F around and find out" on the redistricting effort.

DeSantis then paraphrased Jeffries without the accent. "And he's like, 'Oh, if you do the redistricting, we're gonna take out all your members. We're gonna do all this stuff,' and what I said was, 'Go ahead, make my day,'" DeSantis said.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to limit the use of race in districting and narrowed Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Sharpton condemned the ruling and DeSantis' remarks on Sunday.

"Republicans are trying to claim that Black majority districts across the country are racially discriminatory. Yet Florida's governor this week has been out mocking House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries using an offensive accent," Sharpton told his guest, Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried.

Sharpton asked Fried, "What do you make of the GOP's racist rhetoric right now at the same time they're dismantling civil rights protections that have been an important part of our democracy for decades now?"

"But remember that this has been DeSantis' M.O.," Fried replied. "You know, just a couple years ago, he got rid of Black history in our school system. Back in 2022, he actually vetoed the maps from the legislature during the redistricting period of time so that he can draw his own maps to dismantle one of our Black elected congressional seats in the panhandle."

"So this is what Ron DeSantis has consistently been doing," she continued. "You know, the Stop Woke Act, the DEI attacks. And so, I'm not surprised that DeSantis continues to stoop lower and lower and lower when it comes to his rhetoric and protecting all 23 million Floridians that are here in our state. He is charged with that responsibility as a governor for all 23 million. He continues to be derelict in that responsibility."

Fox News Digital reached out to DeSantis' office and did not receive an immediate reply.