Chaya Raichik, who runs right-wing Libs of TikTok, claimed today that Florida issues driver’s licenses to undocumented individuals, bashing the state over a recent violent attack by an immigrant. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) responded to Raichik’s tweet calling that a lie and accusing her of trying to “generate clicks and engagement farm.”
Raichik’s initial tweet pertained to a clip from a Florida local news outlet WPTV about three undocumented Guatemalan men who were accused by police of forcing a Florida woman into a car and sexually assaulting her.
WPTV also reported one of the men received a citation in January 2024 for not having a driver’s license, but the Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg (D) abandoned the charges in exchange for the man paying a $100 fee and obtaining a valid driver’s license.
“Apparently FL also gives illegals drivers licenses!” Raichik tweeted. “Biden’s open borders allows [violent] criminals to terrorize Americans.”
However, the report goes on to say man cannot obtain a driver’s license in Florida, as the state does not issue driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants.
Raichik’s tweet received a Community Note from X fact-checking her statement about Florida issuing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. But she got fact-checked by DeSantis, too.
DeSantis tweeted that Florida law “prohibits illegal aliens from getting drivers licenses but also prohibits recognition of licenses issued to illegal aliens from other states.” The latter is a result of a July 2023 law prohibiting the recognition of undocumented immigrants’ driver’s licenses from “Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, and Vermont,” all of which issue driver’s licenses to undocumented individuals.
“Truth shouldn’t be a casualty of attempts to generate clicks and engagement farm,” DeSantis tweeted at Raichik.
Before DeSantis even replied, though, Raichik clarified her statement about Florida’s laws and directed fury at Aronberg.
“Florida Law does not allow illegals to get a drivers license,” Raichik tweeted. “It was a woke State Attorney’s office who instructed an illegal to get a drivers license and subvert Florida Law.”
Both Raichik and DeSantis garnered backlash for their tweets—she for making a false statement about Florida issuing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants and he for calling out Raichik.
“You should delete the tweet & make it accurate,” an X user responded to Raichik’s clarifying tweet. “Clarifying after the fact doesn’t make it better & promotes misinformation for your gain.”
“Out of all the people to go at, why @libsoftiktok?” right-wing influencer @MazeMoore tweeted at DeSantis. “If she made a mistake it will come out in the community note. Very strange tweet.”
Raichik also clapped back at DeSantis and said she was disappointed in him for “publicly attacking [her] calling [her] a liar and a grifter.”
“I understand DeSantis wanting to correct the record and this post could’ve been a correction- championing Florida’s incredible record on illegal immigration. Instead it turned into a personal attack,” Raichik tweeted. “For the record- I think DeSantis is a good Governor, have publicly said this, and still stand by it. This personal attack from him is disappointing.”
To Raichik’s point, she has lauded DeSantis in the past—DeSantis reached out to Raichik when her identity was initially exposed in 2022 and invited her to come stay in his guest house “for refuge.”
“I was almost in tears,” Raichik told Tucker Carlson in a 2022 interview. “He took time out of his extremely busy schedule to send someone to call me to make sure I’m safe. It was incredible.”
Raichik praised his decision to send migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in 2023 and said “he should send more!” She was also one of his most vocal supporters during his failed 2024 presidential bid.
As one user put it, “I hate when mom and dad fight.”
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