The recent truce between Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is showing signs of strain.
Governor’s Opposition
Shortly after withdrawing from the presidential race and endorsing Trump, Governor DeSantis quashed any attempts by Florida legislators to use state funds to pay Trump’s legal fees.
DeSantis Shares POLITICO Article
DeSantis, on X (previously known as Twitter), shared a POLITICO article titled “Some Florida Republicans want taxpayers to pay Trump’s legal bills,”
“Veto Pen”
In response to the article, the governor commented, “But not the Florida Republican who wields the veto pen…”
Veto Threat Halts GOP Initiative
Following DeSantis’ social media statement, POLITICO reported a quick collapse of the initiative by some Florida Republicans to allocate taxpayer money for Trump’s numerous legal challenges due to DeSantis’ veto threat.
Bill’s Origin
Miami Republican State Senator Ileana Garcia, a staunch supporter of Trump’s reelection, has introduced a bill in this year’s legislative session.
$5 million Legal Defense
If passed, it could authorize the state to allocate up to $5 million in support of the embattled Republican presidential front-runner’s legal defense.
Funds Support
The legislation has garnered the endorsement of Jimmy Patronis, the state’s Republican Chief Financial Officer, who has been advocating for taxpayer-funded assistance in defending Trump against criminal charges for several months.
Bill Withdrawn
However, late Monday night, Garcia declared her intention to withdraw the bill. This decision came less than two hours after DeSantis publicly stated on X that he did not endorse the proposal.
Bill Filed Amid Crowded Primary
Garcia said, “This bill was filed on January 5th amidst a crowded primary, including two Florida residents,”
“Political Weaponization”
He added, “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 front-runner now remains, and he can handle himself. I will be withdrawing the bill.”
Trump’s Silence
Donald Trump, who has recently praised DeSantis, has remained silent on the issue of his legal fees.
Trump Praises DeSantis
Trump lauded DeSantis on Sunday, shortly after the governor withdrew from the presidential race and gave his endorsement to Trump.
“A Really Terrific Person”
Trump said at a New Hampshire rally, “I’d like to take time to congratulate Ron DeSantis, a really terrific person … for having run a great campaign for president. He ran a really good campaign.”
“Crooked Joe Biden”
“I appreciate that,” he said regarding the DeSantis endorsement and added, “I also look forward to working with Ron and everybody else to defeat crooked Joe Biden. We will have to get him out.”
Warning Ahead of Primary
DeSantis’ veto threat came just before the New Hampshire primary, where Trump secured a double-digit lead over his final Republican opponent, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
Questions About Campaign Strategy
Following the veto threat, several political commentators pondered why this assertive side of DeSantis did not emerge during his campaign against Trump.
DeSantis: “Boldest Position”
Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump staff member turned critic, remarked on X: “This is arguably the boldest position against Trump that DeSantis has taken … and of course it’s now that he’s out of the race.
Classified Documents Case
Trump is currently entangled in four distinct criminal cases. These include a federal case in which he is accused of hoarding classified documents at his residence in Palm Beach County, Florida, obstructing federal authorities’ efforts to recover the documents.
Other Cases Against Trump
Additionally, he faces charges in New York related to hush money payments made to a porn star, as well as charges in Georgia linked to election interference. In Washington, Trump is confronted with allegations that he attempted to overturn the 2020 election.
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