Florida's anti-Nazi sheriff put his right-wing foes on notice Monday, warning them of a new law that would make it easier to put them behind bars.
Appearing on CNN, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood – who's received a series of death threats for his vocal stance against neo-Nazi groups in his area – proposed the law that would be tougher on people who make anti-Semitic comments.
"It's so astounding to us, sitting here watching what you faced, I think to everyone watching, to how you respond," said anchor Poppy Harlow. "As I understand it, this is not just about the threats to you, this is about threats to your family, right? The people that didn't choose to be in the position that you're in."
"Yeah, that's correct," said Chitwood. "And I've been doing this for 34 years ... my family, my daughters, my grandkids, my parents didn't sign up for this. But when you've got a bunch of cowards that hide behind the anonymity of social media, you know, they crank up their base through that."
"You have proposed a law that would make anti-Semitic remarks a felony," said Harlow. "Does it have a shot at becoming law?"
"I expect it to be signed sometime this week, and it enhances penalties for what you just saw. If you go on private property, which is what we're seeing, and drop off hateful literature targeting someone for their religion, it's a felony. If you get up in somebody's face with a bullhorn and start screaming anti-Semitic remarks to them, it's felony stalking. So we're really looking forward to this."
Chitwood caught attention when he held a press conference to target the rise in right-wing attacks in his region earlier this year.
“These scumbags came to the wrong county… We are not going to tolerate this," he said. "This is not about free speech. This is about violence.”
So far, three people have been arrested and accused of threatening his life.
Chitwood, a Republican, was previously a supporter of former President Donald Trump before the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He closed off his remarks by sending another warning to Trump directly.
"You've got to help us here, Mr. President," said Chitwood. "If you become the president, you've got to help us. You cannot be coddling and cozying up to these far extreme groups that want to destroy America."
Sheriff Mike Chitwood warns neo-Nazis a new law will crack down on themwww.youtube.com
