(The Hill) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) suggested he would veto GOP-led legislation in his state to use taxpayer funds to help former President Trump pay his legal bills.
DeSantis, replying to recent reporting from Politico that some Republicans in the state want taxpayers to help Trump, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “But not the Florida Republican who wields the veto pen…” The message, posted late Monday, quickly halted any momentum behind the legislative push.
State Sen. Ileana Garcia (R), who endorsed Trump’s presidential bid, responded to the post by saying she would withdraw the bill.
“This bill was filed on January 5th amidst a crowded primary, including two Florida residents,” she said, referring to DeSantis and Trump.
“My concern was the political weaponization against conservative candidates, and while [Florida Chief Financial Officer] @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,” she continued. “I will be withdrawing the bill.”
DeSantis ended his presidential campaign Sunday and endorsed Trump, who the Florida governor said “is superior to the current incumbent, Joe Biden. That is clear.”
“I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee, and I will honor that pledge,” he continued. “He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear. A repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.”
The endorsement of Trump came after a bitter primary against the former president — who had once been DeSantis’s close political ally. Throughout the primary, however, Trump frequently insulted the governor and encouraged Republicans to rally against him.
DeSantis’s veto pledge comes as Trump is facing four criminal indictments with a total of 91 charges, including one federal case related to his retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
