Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, has said he plans to pardon Daniel Perry, an Army sergeant who was sentenced to 25 years in prison earlier this month for fatally shooting an armed man during a Black Lives Matter protest in Austin.
Like these men, Mr. Penny has become symbolic of a “macho” and “tough, take-action, hold-your-ground” ethos that appeals to a conservative segment of the country, said Douglas Muzzio, a political science professor at Baruch College.
Noting that many facts about the chokehold case remain unclear, including what happened before Mr. Penny grabbed Mr. Neely, Mr. Muzzio said, “It doesn’t matter what he did or what he felt or what he believed.”
The charge against Mr. Penny “occurs in an atmosphere of extreme polarization and racial polarization,” Mr. Muzzio said. “It’s symptomatic of our times — the split between red and blue, the split between Black and white — and it resonates with some deep-seated realities of American politics.”
Moments before he posted his support of Mr. Penny on Twitter, Mr. DeSantis, during a visit to Peoria, Ill., took a shot at Mr. Bragg — voicing his disdain for prosecutors who are supported by “people like George Soros,” referring to the liberal billionaire and Democratic donor who is a frequent target of right-wing attacks, some of which use veiled antisemitic tropes.
Jumaane Williams, New York’s public advocate, said Mr. DeSantis’s criticism followed a right-wing playbook to draw political support by spreading fear “regardless of what the facts say.”
“If the violence can be linked to Black people or people who have melanated skin, they go even harder,” he said.
