Florida first lady to miss Women for Trump event due to planned execution

Florida first lady Casey DeSantis will reportedly miss a Tampa event for President Trump’s reelection campaign because it conflicts with a scheduled execution.

DeSantis was initially listed as an attendee at the Women for Trump event with White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. The event, however, is scheduled at the same time as the execution of serial killer Gary Ray Bowles, during which time “everyone is locked down” so Department of Corrections officials can stay in touch with the governor’s office, Alex Garcia, who is overseeing Trump’s reelection campaign efforts in Florida, told Politico.

{mosads}A spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) office told Politico that although the first lady does not hold an elected office, “out of protocol the executive office of the governor does not participate in any public event” during executions.

Bondi herself was criticized in 2013 for asking then-Gov. Rick Scott (R) to reschedule an execution to allow him to attend a kickoff fundraiser for her reelection, which she later said she should not have done.