Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) took a shot at former President Donald Trump on social media Monday after endorsing Trump for president on Sunday.
According to Politico, some Republican lawmakers in Florida have discussed a bill that would allow the state to provide the former president with up to $5 million in taxpayer funding to help him fight the barrage of legal battles raised by Democrat prosecutors across the nation.
Politico reported that Florida State Senator Ileana Garcia (R-Miami) filed the bill for the 2024 legislative session and that Republican Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s chief financial officer, had endorsed the bill. However, the bill was withdrawn Monday night after the Florida governor threatened to veto the proposed bill.
Sharing Politico’s article entitled “Some Florida Republicans want taxpayers to pay Trump’s legal bills” on X, formerly Twitter, DeSantis wrote, “But not the Florida Republican who wields the veto pen…”
In response to the Florida governor’s veto threat, Garcia announced Monday night that she would be withdrawing the bill.
“This bill was filed on January 5th amidst a crowded primary, including two Florida residents,” Garcia stated on X. “My concern was the political weaponization against conservative candidates, and while @JimmyPatronis brought me this bill at a time when all candidates were committing to campaign through the primary, one frontrunner now remains, and he can handle himself. I will be withdrawing the bill.”
READ MORE: Videos: DeSantis suspends 2024 campaign, endorses opponent
DeSantis’s threat to veto legislation that would aid the former president in his legal battle against Democrat prosecutors came just one day after the governor announced the suspension of his 2024 presidential campaign and endorsed Trump’s campaign for president.
“It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” DeSantis said in a video message on Sunday. “They watched his presidency get stymied by relentless resistance, and they see Democrats using lawfare this day to attack him.”
While endorsing his former GOP presidential primary rival on Sunday, DeSantis noted that he had prior “disagreements” with the former president. However, DeSantis explained, “While I’ve had disagreements with Donald Trump, such as on the Coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent Joe Biden. That is clear.”
