Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier says his office will seek the death penalty for the two adults who allegedly confined four children to the cab of a tractor-trailer, some for more than six years, and sexually abused them.

Keisha Monique Epps, 51, and Tamra Marshon Stewart, 37, have been charged with sexual battery, molestation and neglect of two girls and two boys – two 5-year-olds, a 6-year-old and a 9-year-old, Uthmeier said.

Epps and Stewart, who has been identified as her fiancé, had been living in the cab with the children. Epps worked as a truck driver, frequenting a route between Miami and Atlanta, according to court documents.

FLORIDA COUPLE ALLEGEDLY HELD FOUR CHILDREN IN TRACTOR-TRAILER CAB FOR NEARLY SEVEN YEARS

"These children were trapped in a rolling prison and abused by the adults who were supposed to protect them," Uthmeier said.

"We will pursue with everything we have the death penalty. We will seek executions, if you want to come in here [in Florida] and you want to physically molest, abuse, and violate our little kids."

Florida law allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty for adults convicted of sexual battery against a child younger than 12.

The two girls were sexually abused by Stewart for years, Uthmeier said. When the two boys witnessed sexual abuse and confronted Stewart, he "beat them by punching them in their heads," reports show.

The children told authorities that they had told Epps about the sexual abuse and saw her witness it. She called one of the children "derogatory names" and continued to leave them alone with Stewart, reports show.

Stewart told investigators he had committed three sexual batteries against one of the girls, according to Uthmeier’s office.

One of the children was found to have an untreated sexually transmitted infection, Uthmeier’s office said.

But the horrors allegedly went far beyond sexual abuse.

The couple confined the children in the truck cab without "time to take showers, use the restroom" or "exercise outside," investigators wrote in their reports.

FLORIDA-LED OPERATION RESCUES 163 CHILDREN AROUND GLOBE IN HISTORIC STATE SWEEP, HUNTS SUSPECTED PREDATORS

"This case is one of, if not the most, horrific that my team has ever had to work on," Uthmeier said at a news conference in Kissimmee, Florida, on Sept. 1.

Over the years of their imprisonment, the children were forced to "use the bathroom" in cups and paper bags, he said. When making stops, "the adults would go to the restroom," Uthmeier said. "They might take a shower, but they would leave the kids locked in this rolling dungeon."

"As a result of the abuse" over the years, he said, the children "suffer severe physical infirmities."

The children were kept inside the vehicle "for the majority of their days," court records show.

The children said they hadn’t been "allowed to attend school for approximately five years," according to an arrest report. A detective on the case reported the children were "walking with an unnatural gait from being confined to the cab."

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

They were "fed poorly," and they never received medical or dental care—even for emergencies, the report shows.

Two of the children suffered untreated burns that left significant scarring, according to Uthmeier's office.

One of the girls recalled a time she "burned herself badly with cooked noodles."

SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST TRUE CRIME NEWS

"There was a lot of blood," the girl told investigators.

LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Neither Stewart nor Epps took her to get medical treatment, she told investigators. Now, she has a "permanent scar" from the burn, court records show.

SEND US A TIP

Stewart was in charge of supervising the children when Epps was sleeping, showering and driving the truck, the children said.

GOT A TIP?

All four shared a bunk in the cab so small that they had to lie "curled up side by side," reports show.

LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST

Stewart is charged with "two counts of sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authority, two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12, two counts of battery of a child by expelling certain fluids or materials, two counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, and two counts of child neglect causing permanent disfigurement," according to Uthmeier’s office.

GET BREAKING NEWS BY EMAIL

Epps is charged with "two counts of sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authority, two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12, two counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, two counts of child neglect causing permanent disfigurement, and four counts of failure to report child abuse."

Epps and Stewart were arrested on Aug. 6. On Sept. 3, both were held in the Duval County Jail.

The Duval County Office of the Public Defender is representing Stewart, and Epps is represented by Florida’s Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel.

Neither office responded to a request for comment before publication.

A political earthquake is brewing in Germany's east as working-class and young voters appear set to deliver an unprecedented victory for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Sunday’s state elections in Saxony-Anhalt.

The AfD, which was famously backed by Elon Musk in last year’s national election, has been criticized for being pro-Russia and was accused of being a "right-wing extremist endeavor" by Germany’s domestic intelligence office, has the chance to become the first party outside the mainstream center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) or center-right Christian Democratic Union and their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), to win an outright majority in a German state parliament, or Landtag, since World War II.

"The reason Saxony-Anhalt matters," foreign policy expert and author Daniel Schatz, who holds a doctorate in political science from Berlin's Humboldt University, told Fox News Digital, "is that the AfD is no longer just knocking on the door of power. It may be close to kicking it open."

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FAR-LEFT PROTESTERS CLASH WITH POLICE IN ANTI-CONSERVATIVE PARTY RIOTS

Other minor parties have led governing coalitions in German states, but no party outside the SPD or the CDU and the CSU has ever held a single-party governing majority in Germany since the Federal Republic was re-established in 1949.

Janek Treiber, a political science researcher at Dresden University of Technology, told Fox News Digital that if the AfD does win outright in Saxony-Anhalt, their policy influence would be limited due to the German federal system, but warned "you must not underestimate the political symbol this would give. That a single party, and a right-wing party, could rule a German state… The symbol that these parties, that have been ruling Germany since 1949 or the East since 1990, they now lose control. They now lose power. I think this is a much more important symbol than just saying, OK, (the) AfD will change this or that in its local school system or university system."

Schatz described the AfD "a nationalist, anti-immigration party on the far right that has become a powerful vehicle for voter anger at Germany’s political establishment — especially in the former East Germany. It campaigns for much tighter immigration, a stronger emphasis on German national identity, rejection of much of the green agenda and a softer line toward Russia."

An outright win for the AfD, even in Germany’s 6th smallest state, would break through the political establishment’s so-called "Brandmauer," or "firewall." Simply put, other parties refuse to work with the AfD, which is currently the second-largest party in the Bundestag, officially the opposition party, after winning 20.8% of the vote in the February 2025 federal election.

'SEND THEM BACK' CHANTS ROCK EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AFTER LANDSLIDE VOTE TO SPEED UP DEPORTATIONS

In an interview on German broadcaster ZDF, the AfD’s national co-chair, Alice Weidel, advocated for closing Germany’s borders and exiting Europe’s Schengen treaty, saying, "Illegal migration, unchecked open borders, anyone can get in. Our internal security is suffering. People are honestly fed up with this situation."

Weidel added, "All Syrian refugees must have their protected status revoked because the reason for their flight no longer exists. These people must return to their homeland. If they don't leave voluntarily, then they must be deported by force." Adding that many of the 1.3 million Syrians in Germany are being naturalized, "we must stop naturalizing these people who should actually be leaving our country. We have Islamization."

GERMAN OFFICIALS WANT TO KNOW WHY BERLIN ATTACK SUSPECT WAS FREE DESPITE ALLEGED ISIS SUPPORT

In May 2025, Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) classified the AfD as a "confirmed right-wing extremist" group, citing "anti-migrant positions and an ancestry-based definition of German identity." This past February, according to Deutsche Welle, that classification was put on hold by a German court after "Judges found that while there was evidence of potentially unconstitutional statements and policies within the AfD… it said that there was not sufficient evidence to characterize the party as a whole as extremist."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently told state broadcaster ARD, "I cannot imagine international investors attending a ground-breaking ceremony with an AfD Minister-President to set up new plants and establish new businesses in Saxony-Anhalt… However, that is a decision for ​the voters in Saxony-Anhalt to make. The state will suffer ⁠considerable damage if things turn out as we now fear they ​might."

This has done little to damage the popularity of the AfD’s lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund. In a state of just over 2 million people, he has a TikTok following of over 700,000.

A Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) report said Siegmund’s "polished appearance and professional tone lend respectability, and radical demands blend with footage of a community-oriented politician responding to audience questions… The AfD’s physical presence in the streets and omnipresence in the media helps to push the common populist ‘us versus them’ narrative: The AfD is here for you, the other parties are not."

NEW GERMANY SEX-CRIME FIGURES REIGNITE MIGRATION FIGHT AS EXPLOITATION PROBE EXPANDS

According to the independent, non-partisan German website Wahlrecht.de, which tracks federal and state election polling, ahead of Sunday’s vote in Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD holds a 41%-23% lead over the CDU, followed by three leftist parties. A party or a coalition needs at least half of the seats to control parliament and name a state Minister-President, essentially a governor. So how can a party with only 43% win an election outright? That comes down to Germany’s unique election system.

"German voters cast two ballots," Schatz says, "One for a local candidate — like voting for your congressman - and one for a party. That second vote, the party vote, is the one that counts. It decides how many seats each party gets in parliament." But there is a caveat: "Any party that falls below 5% gets nothing — zero seats — and those votes are effectively thrown out. Right now, several smaller parties are hovering right at that line. If they miss it, 42% or 43% of the vote can translate into more than half the seats. So Saxony-Anhalt could wake up to an AfD majority government even though a clear majority of voters chose someone else. That would be a first in postwar Germany."

The CSIS report said voters are drawn to the AfD "because, or despite of, its extremist ideology. 60.5% of AfD voters hold a right-wing extremist worldview… At the same time, more than two in five AfD voters think that the party does not sufficiently distance itself from right-wing extremist positions." The report also found that AfD’s "strongest recent gains have been among voters 18–25 years old, where the party tripled its results compared to the 2021 national election."

Treiber said economics is pushing younger voters to the AfD, due to rising expenses and unemployment. He also said that younger voters are "kind of polarized because the other part of the youth in Germany is voting for the left party (Die Linke)."

Saxony-Anhalt may just be the beginning for the anti-establishment parties. Voters in neighboring Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where former Chancellor Angela Merkel grew up and began her political career, go to the polls in two weeks. Polling data from Wahlrecht.de shows the AfD leading the ruling SPD 35%-32% there. 

Conversely, in Berlin, where voters in the capital also go to the polls in two weeks, the average of recent polling has the far-left Die Linke in a dead heat with the CDU at 20%, followed by the AfD at 18%, with the Greens and the SPD each around 15%. While the majority of the AfD’s support does come from the former East Germany, the party is represented in 14 of Germany’s 16 state legislatures and holds 15 of Germany’s 96 seats in the European Parliament.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway on Friday filed an emergency appeal urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the new congressional map backed by President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders to be used in November's midterm election.

The appeal comes after Missouri's high court blocked the redistricting map and ordered a statewide vote in November on whether to keep it.

Hanaway asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the state high court's decision immediately.

"We have just appealed yesterday's catastrophic ruling to the Supreme Court of the United States. We look forward to the Court's prompt review of this critical matter, as our ability to hold timely and lawful congressional elections hangs in the balance," Hanaway, a Republican, said in a statement.

MISSOURI HIGH COURT BLOCKS GOP-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL MAPS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS; TRUMP BLASTS 'RIDICULOUS' RULING

State law sets a Tuesday deadline to make changes to the November ballot. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who hears appeals of cases from the region and can decide alone or refer to the full court, asked opponents of the new map to respond to the appeal by Monday.

The Missouri high court ruling on Thursday was among the latest rulings in a national redistricting battle backed by Trump. The GOP had aimed to use Missouri’s new congressional map to help win an additional seat and hold onto its slim House majority.

The state Supreme Court ruled that the referendum petition, filed in December after opponents submitted more than 300,000 signatures, prevented the new districts from taking effect unless approved by voters.

Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins waited until primary Election Day last month to reject the petition, arguing that Missouri's constitution does not allow referendum petitions on congressional redistricting. A lower court sided with Hoskins, but the state Supreme Court overturned his decision.

"The referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely, and the secretary incorrectly concluded otherwise," the court said in its ruling. The measure with the new districts "did not go into effect and will not go into effect unless and until approved by the voters."

Missouri’s new districts were used in the primaries last month, but the state Supreme Court said they cannot be used again unless voters first uphold the new districts passed by the GOP-controlled legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe last September.

Now, the congressional map adopted after the 2020 census "remains in full force and effect for the November 2026 general election," the court said.

Five of the seven current justices on the Missouri Supreme Court, including the chief justice, were appointed by Republican governors.

Hanaway said no other court has ordered congressional maps after a primary but before a general election.

"No court in American history has ever given such an extraordinary remedy, which inflicts unprecedented chaos on Missouri," her office wrote in the appeal. "Looking forwards, the State is genuinely unsure whether it can switch its governing congressional map in time to run a timely federal election."

DEMS DERIDED TRUMP'S MIDTERM GAMBLE — UNTIL HE ENDED UP WINNING BIG

Congressional districts are typically redrawn at the start of each decade, based on new census data, but Trump's mission to tip the scales in favor of Republicans in the midterm election sparked a mid-decade redistricting battle that spread to more than a dozen states across the nation.

Trump called Thursday's ruling "ridiculous" and argued it was unconstitutional, saying there will not be enough time to change the map before November's elections. Missouri's governor said he is "extremely disappointed" in the decision "by unelected judges and their lack of respect for the legislative process."

The new Missouri map targeted longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver's Kansas City-area district by shifting it eastward to include rural right-leaning voters. The map was intended to make Cleaver's district more favorable to Republicans, who hoped it would produce a 7-1 advantage in the state's congressional delegation.

"More than 305,000 Missourians demanded a say in who will represent them in the halls of Congress," Cleaver said on Thursday. "Despite the cynical and deeply shameful attempt to silence many of our neighbors, the people fought back and won. This reaffirms that the people should choose their politicians, not the other way around. Democracy prevails."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Senate Democratic nominee James Talarico appears ready to bring a touch of Trotsky to Texas. In a video from a climate forum, Talarico is shown declaring capitalism an "oppressive system" linked with White supremacy and saying that it must be "dismantled" to achieve a better world. It is reminiscent of Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky, who denounced the "fundamental evil of the capitalist system" and called on citizens to free themselves from its oppression. The Democratic Socialists of America and radical sites have long called "to dismantle the capitalist state."

As a state representative, Talarico addressed the 2020 climate conference by the Austin chapter of the Sierra Club with other Texas House candidates. However, it was Talarico who roused the crowd with an attack on capitalism:

"I’m so thankful that you asked this question and also thankful that young activists have really drawn the link between climate change and White supremacy and capitalism in our country ... And I think only ending the ways that all three of those oppressive systems work together are we gonna be able to begin the process of dismantling them."

TALARICO’S ‘PROUD CAPITALIST’ ABOUT-FACE COLLIDES WITH RESURFACED CALL TO ‘DISMANTLE’ CAPITALISM

Talarico added criticism of Texas’s oil and gas industry, which he mocked as a dying industry "like being the leader in cassette tapes in the 1980s." He predicted with obvious satisfaction, "That industry is not gonna last."

Ironically, given his earlier promise of running a meatless, vegan campaign, opposing both beef and energy markets in Texas could well achieve the dismantling of the economy by default in Texas.

WATCH: UNEARTHED VIDEO SHOWS LEFTIST SENATE HOPEFUL CELEBRATING ANTI-FOSSIL FUEL GROUP'S ARRIVAL IN TEXAS

Talarico's views closely parallel socialist and communist talking points online. The Democratic Socialists of America has challenged people to "imagine the end of capitalism." Those words in The Democratic Socialists of America manifesto offer Americans a world without landlords, debt, mandatory work hours, and "food, education, energy, medicine, and transportation … are common goods and utilities."

The DSA is premised on the same stated objective of Talarico, declaring that there has to be "a revolutionary transformation to replace the capitalist social order based on exploitation and oppression."

JONATHAN TURLEY: DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS WANT TO REMAKE AMERICA IN THEIR IMAGE. THAT’S TERRIFYING

Other candidates have sought to pander to this radical mob. Recently, California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom thrilled the mob by declaring that "nostalgia is not working," adding that "capitalism as we know it doesn’t work either."

In "Rage and the Republic," I discuss the rise of socialism and the coalition of politicians, pundits and professors in attacking capitalism as well as core institutions such as the Supreme Court. It is a crisis of faith on the 250th anniversary of the oldest and most successful republic in history.

SOCIALISM’S RISE INSIDE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOW THREATENS THE AMERICAN DREAM

It is the 250th anniversary not only of the Declaration of Independence but of Adam Smith’s "Wealth of Nations." Smith's free-market theories were immediately embraced by the Founders as the perfect economic theory to match their political theory. They had declared the first Enlightenment Revolution based on a belief in natural rights that came from God, not governments.

However, those rights mean little without economic freedom. Capitalism offered citizens the ability to transcend class and social barriers, to advance as far as their skills and labor would take them.

MODERN CAPITALISM IS TURNING 250, TOO. WE NEED TO REMIND AMERICANS WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Together, those political and economic theories created the most prosperous and stable democratic system in the world. That system is now under attack on both sides. Radicals are calling for the trashing of the U.S. Constitution and the discarding of our core constitutional values.

Even establishment figures from former Vice President Kamala Harris to Newsom now dismiss faith in core institutions as mere "nostalgia." Those of us who support the Madisonian democracy are derisively called "institutionalists" and constitutional "cultists."

JONATHAN TURLEY: DEM SOCIALIST RIPS ‘INSTITUTIONALISTS’ AS FAR LEFT TURNS UP HEAT ON DEFENDERS OF CONSTITUTION

The New York Times ran a column, "The Constitution Is Broken and Should Not Be Reclaimed," by Ryan D. Doerfler of Harvard and Samuel Moyn of Yale, calling upon citizens to "reclaim America from constitutionalism."

As these attacks on our constitutional system mount, a similar attack on capitalism is unfolding. In New York, Mayor Democrat Zohran Mamdani promised to show citizens the "warmth of collectivism" from free childcare to free buses to state-run grocery stores. Across the country, Mamdani allies are joining him in calling for the de-commodification of private property and the seizing of the means of production.

DSA CO-CHAIR MOCKED FOR PROUDLY CONFIRMING SOCIALISTS WANT TO ABOLISH THE SENATE, NATIONAL BORDERS, PRISONS

Polls show that these candidates are being propelled not by the working class, but by young, college-educated voters fresh out of the ideological echo chamber of higher education. They are armchair revolutionaries like Talarico, repeating socialist slogans with the same robotic rote delivery of a Young Pioneer camp.

As these videos surface, radical candidates from Michigan Democrat Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed to Talarico brush off their earlier comments as media allies attack any reporting on prior statements. New York Democrat Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is considering a run for president, recently called her own extremist statements "Woke 1."

SOCIALIST CANDIDATES CAN DELETE OLD POSTS, BUT THEY CAN'T ERASE THEIR RADICALISM

The transparent insincerity does not matter to their base. These figures have already shown their bona fides with extremist statements in the past. Talarico's desire to dismantle capitalism was not some slip of the tongue but a planned speech to fellow activists. To pivot now is considered to be mere packaging for uneducated and malleable dupes.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

Indeed, the Talarico campaign responded by simply declaring that Talarico is a "proud capitalist," though one staffer admitted that the comments were a bit "cringey." Being a "proud capitalist" who wants to "dismantle" capitalism is a bit like being an avid meat-eater who denounces meat consumption as killing the world and banning meat from his campaign."

Accordingly, when asked about past radical positions, these figures immediately deny or dismiss them. If you want to dismantle the constitutional or economic systems of the United States, a few white lies hardly seem of much consequence. After all, as Trotsky explained, "The end may justify the means as long as there is something that justifies the end." For these radicals, there is no greater justification than their own election.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JONATHAN TURLEY

EXCLUSIVE – The Department of Homeland Security has issued new guidance directing its immigration attorneys to seek early dismissal of asylum claims they determine are legally insufficient, according to internal guidance obtained by Fox News Digital.

Effective immediately, attorneys with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) are expected to seek dismissal of asylum applications they determine fail to meet the legal standard on their face by filing motions to pretermit in immigration court.

A motion to pretermit asks an immigration judge to deny an asylum application before a full merits hearing because the government argues the application is legally insufficient. 

Immigration judges ultimately decide whether to grant those motions.

ICE SEEKS NEARLY $500K FINE AGAINST IMMIGRATION LAWYER ACCUSED OF FILING FAKE ASYLUM CLAIMS

The guidance is intended to expedite the adjudication of asylum claims that satisfy the legal requirements while allowing the government to challenge deficient applications earlier in the immigration court process.

The directive also reinforces the administration's ongoing focus on combating asylum fraud, including continued efforts to hold attorneys accountable for facilitating fraudulent asylum claims.

TRUMP ADMIN EYES HISTORIC MASS VISA REVOCATION TARGETING UP TO 200K ASYLUM SEEKERS: REPORT

The policy follows a series of recent administration actions aimed at reshaping the asylum system. Earlier this year, the administration streamlined portions of the affirmative asylum process by allowing certain applications to move directly to immigration court without first undergoing asylum interviews, a change officials said would reduce duplicative reviews and help address the immigration court backlog.

The administration has also expanded its focus on asylum fraud. In recent months, ICE announced a policy allowing the agency to pursue civil penalties against attorneys accused of facilitating fraudulent asylum claims and later sought financial penalties against a New York immigration attorney accused of filing fraudulent asylum applications.

TRUMP SCORES SCOTUS ASYLUM WIN — BUT LIBERAL JUSTICE WARNS IT COULD BACKFIRE AT BORDER

The latest guidance extends that broader effort into immigration court litigation by directing government attorneys to challenge asylum claims they believe do not satisfy the legal requirements before those cases proceed to full evidentiary hearings.

The policy marks another step in the Trump administration's broader effort to tighten the asylum system through changes to immigration enforcement and litigation strategy.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed a "slate" of Republicans statewide Tuesday, including GOP gubernatorial nominee U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds. 

"I'm endorsing the slate here tonight ... because I know it's important for the state of Florida," DeSantis said at the Florida GOP Leadership Forum in Tampa.

The event showcased Donalds, Attorney General James Uthmeier, Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

Last year DeSantis appointed Ingoglia as CFO and Uthmeier as attorney general. Later in 2025, the governor endorsed Ingoglia for election to the CFO post. He then backed Simpson for re-election this year. 

TRUMP'S HANDPICKED DESANTIS SUCCESSOR WINS CROWDED GOP PRIMARY FOR FLORIDA GOVERNOR

"Tonight I was honored to earn Governor @RonDeSantis’s endorsement," Donalds wrote in a post on X.

"Governor DeSantis has done incredible work to make Florida the envy of America. As your next Governor, I will build on his success and defend the Florida Dream," he said.

FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR HOPEFUL HAULED OUT OF COUNTY MEETING AFTER PROTESTING ISRAEL INVESTMENTS

Donalds, who won the Florida GOP gubernatorial primary in August with the backing of President Donald Trump, will face Democratic gubernatorial candidate former U.S. Rep. David Jolly in the general election.

While he is currently running for governor as a Democrat, Jolly previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican.

BYRON DONALDS SHUTS DOWN BILL MAHER'S CLAIM ON GOP PRIMARY RACISM, SAYS 'FLORIDA IS A MERITOCRACY'

Under the Florida Constitution, DeSantis, who is serving his second consecutive term, is not eligible to seek another consecutive term as governor this year.

"No person who has, or but for resignation would have, served as governor or acting governor for more than six years in two consecutive terms shall be elected governor for the succeeding term," the Florida constitution states.

Democratic strategist James Carville expanded his critique of left-wing streamer Hasan Piker on Tuesday, branding him an "idiot" and saying he cannot answer for Piker’s band of "left-wing idiots."

Piker, a self-described socialist streamer who campaigned with Democratic Michigan U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, has emerged as a leading voice on the left as democratic socialists continue to gain influence.

"There's two things that I know about Hasan Piker. One, he's an idiot, and two, he's not a Democrat. So, I don't answer for idiots, and I don't answer for people who are not Democrats," Carville said on "The Story."

JAMES CARVILLE VOWS TO ABANDON DEMOCRATIC PARTY IF FAR-LEFT HASAN PIKER BECOMES LEADING VOICE

Tuesday’s comments were not the first time the longtime Democratic strategist has targeted Piker. Carville recently pledged to leave the Democratic Party if Piker were to become a leading voice within the party and said an "overwhelming majority" of Democrats agree.

"I understand that I'm a Democrat. I'm part of a big coalition, a big tent, and we all have an admission policy," Carville told Fox News. "But thank God Hasan Piker doesn't want in our frat, because we don't want him."

JAMES CARVILLE RESPONDS TO 'VICIOUS' PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS TRYING TO DRIVE HIM OUT OF THE PARTY

Piker, who drew criticism after saying "America deserved 9/11" during a stream in 2019, expressed a similar disdain for Carville.

"We got John Fetterman, James Carville, fantasizing about leaving the party — I'm like, you're sweetening the deal," Piker said during a recent stream.

Fox News Digital reached out to Piker for comment.

Carville criticized the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), arguing the platform benefits by associating itself with the Democratic Party and ordered the far-left organization to redact "Democratic" from its name.

CARVILLE TORCHES DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS AS 'PACK OF FOOLS,' PRAISES AOC'S POLITICAL EVOLUTION

"What I would tell a Democratic socialist — ‘If you hate the Democratic brand so much, why use our words? Go call yourself something else. Call yourself the Socialists of America,’" Carville said.

Carville argued that the DSA’s values and policy positions, including defunding the police, do not align with those of the Democratic Party.

"Don't put the first word in your title 'Democratic' because… that's our party. That's the party of civil rights. That's the party of women's rights. That's the party of balanced budget. That is the party of prosperity," he said.

"Don’t use our name. Make up your own name," he added.

Carville previously warned that Democratic socialists are dragging the party’s brand "through the mud."