Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed Friday to assist a man who has been charged with vandalizing the Satanic Temple of Iowa's display at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.
Michael Cassidy, 35, a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot and congressional candidate from Lauderdale, Mississippi, was charged Thursday with fourth-degree criminal mischief. If convicted, Cassidy could face a year in prison and a $2,500 fine.
The conservative website The Sentinel said it started a crowdfunding campaign for Cassidy's legal fund that raised $20,000 before being suspended upon hitting its target. Prominent donors included Turning Point USA and The Daily Wire writer and filmmaker Matt Walsh, who gave $10,000 and $1,000, respectively, according to Newsweek.
In a post to X on Friday, DeSantis, a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said he will contribute to Cassidy's legal defense.
"Satan has no place in our society and should not be recognized as a 'religion' by the federal government," DeSantis wrote. "I'll chip in to contribute to this veteran's legal defense fund.
"Good prevails over evil — that's the American spirit."
The Satanic Temple of Iowa posted on Facebook that its display, depicting the pagan idol Baphomet holding a rose-covered pentagram and surrounded by candles, was "destroyed beyond repair." It was permitted under state rules allowing religious displays in the Capitol building during the holidays, but its presence has been debated and criticized by Iowa and national politicians.
DeSantis on Tuesday joined a chorus of Republicans calling for its removal, but others in the GOP, including Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, said although it is offensive, it is a protected form of speech.
Cassidy told The Sentinel he destroyed the display to "awaken Christians to the anti-Christian acts promoted by our government."
"The world may tell Christians to submissively accept the legitimization of Satan, but none of the founders would have considered government sanction of Satanic altars inside Capitol buildings as protected by the First Amendment," Cassidy said. "Anti-Christian values have steadily been mainstreamed more and more in recent decades, and Christians have largely acted like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water."
In 2022 Cassidy launched an unsuccessful Republican primary challenge against incumbent Rep. Michael Guest, who represents Mississippi's 3rd Congressional District, losing by less than 300 votes before Guest won a runoff with 67% of the vote.