A rumor that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said drivers are allowed to run over protesters with their cars if they feel threatened spread in June 2025 as debate raged over nationwide protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids at the behest of President Donald Trump's administration.
Some users on social media platforms such as Facebook (archived), Instagram (archived) and X (archived) alleged DeSantis declared that "Floridians are ALLOWED to drive over protesters in the street, if they feel like their life is in danger."
Gov. Ron DeSantis says that Floridians are ALLOWED to drive over protesters in the street, if they feel like their life is in danger..
LOVE this! ?? pic.twitter.com/xUDVMfM5g4— American AF ?? (@iAnonPatriot) June 12, 2025
It is true DeSantis said Florida drivers are allowed to hit protesters if the they feel their life is threatened, though it's important to note he did not directly say "drive over" or "run over," as some social media posts claim. However, based on the full quote, it is accurate to summarize his comment as such.
DeSantis made the remarks during an appearance on "The Rubin Report," a conservative talk show on Rumble, a YouTube alternative favored by many on the political right (including a 2021 investment in the platform from Vice President JD Vance). There is no evidence the video featuring DeSantis was falsified or generated using artificial intelligence.
The full quote in question occurred around 8 minutes and 50 seconds into the interview (archived). DeSantis said:
And we also have a policy that if you're driving on one of those streets and a mob comes and surrounds your vehicle and threatens you, you have a right to flee for your safety. And so you drive off and you hit one of these people, that's their fault for impinging on you. You don't have to sit there and just be a sitting duck and let the mob grab you out of your car and drag you through the streets. You have a right to defend yourself in Florida.
DeSantis' appearance was an an episode titled "Exposing the Real Origin of Gavin Newsom's ICE Riot Problem," and the Florida governor weighed in on the protests against ICE and the resulting actions by law enforcement in Los Angeles during June 2025.
DeSantis and host Dave Rubin discussed a variety of topics, according to the episode's description, including "Florida's zero tolerance for riots and looting; the contrast between Florida and California on law enforcement and immigration" and "support for ICE and strong border policies."
The statement came following days of escalating tensions across the United States after Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles despite on-the-ground reports of the protests being primarily peaceful until escalated by law enforcement, causing further discontent across the nation.
Snopes reached out to DeSantis' press office for comment about his statement, who referred us back to the full interview on "The Rubin Report" and cited a news release from 2021 announcing the governor's signing of "hallmark anti-rioting legislation" called the "Combating Public Disorder Act."
According to the release, the act "takes a robust approach to uphold the rule of law" including the addition of "new criminal offenses and increased penalties for individuals who are participants in violent or disorderly assemblies."
"We are holding those who incite violence in our communities accountable, supporting our law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day to keep us safe and protecting Floridians from the chaos of mob violence," DeSantis said at the time.