DeSantis and Hannity's Awkward Exchange Over Florida's Cousin Marriage Law
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Fox News host Sean Hannity became embroiled in a notably awkward on-air discussion regarding Florida's law permitting marriages between first cousins. The exchange occurred during an interview on Hannity's television show, highlighting DeSantis's recent push to outlaw the practice.
'Stealth Jihad' Claims and Legislative Context
Governor DeSantis has been actively campaigning to ban first-cousin marriages in recent days, asserting at a press conference on April 6 that the practice is connected to what he termed 'stealth jihad'. He made this controversial statement while signing HB 1471, a new law that grants state officials enhanced authority to designate groups as terrorist organizations.
During the interview, Hannity expressed surprise, stating, 'Um, maybe I’m just a little ignorant here. I didn’t know that it was legal to marry a first cousin.' DeSantis responded by noting that many states prohibit such marriages, adding, 'Florida needs to get with the program on that one.'
Broader Legal and International Perspectives
DeSantis argued that first-cousin marriage is associated with 'cultures that are antithetical to American values', despite its legality in numerous jurisdictions. Specifically, sixteen U.S. states fully allow marriages between first cousins, including California, Colorado, Maryland, New York, and South Carolina. Several other states permit it under certain conditions.
Internationally, the practice is legal in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, and various parts of the Middle East. In Florida, state lawmakers rejected a proposal to ban first-cousin marriages as recently as March.
Details of HB 1471 and Anti-Terrorism Measures
The legislation DeSantis signed, HB 1471, includes several key provisions:
- It prohibits state courts from enforcing 'foreign or religious law' if doing so would violate constitutional rights.
- It empowers the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Chief of Domestic Security to recommend designations of domestic terrorist groups.
- It allows institutions found to promote or support terrorist organizations to be stripped of funding.
- It enables disciplinary action against students who advocate for 'terrorist violence'.
DeSantis described the law as a 'ban on any use of sharia law' and criticized European countries, claiming, 'We don’t want to end up like Europe, where they have no-go zones, where you have these little subcultures where this stuff’s imposed.'
Controversial Designations and Legal Challenges
In December, DeSantis announced on social media that Florida would designate the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as terrorist organizations. However, in March, U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker ruled that DeSantis's designation of CAIR violated the First Amendment.
Hiba Rahim, CAIR-Florida's executive director, condemned both HB 1471 and DeSantis's executive order in a press release, stating, 'We have already been unjustly targeted – most notably when Governor DeSantis falsely labeled CAIR as terrorists without lawful authority or evidence. When HB 1471 was filed, it seemed clear that this was an agenda-driven bill.'
DeSantis emphasized his stance during the interview, declaring, 'On the broader issue of not allowing Islamist groups to get public money from things in Florida, whether it’s education or any of the other things that we’re doing, you’ve got to draw very clear red line, and the red line I’ve drawn is we’ll spend millions on public safety, millions on education, but not one cent for jihad.'
