Florida Governor Ron DeSantis indicated on Monday that he would not support a proposed measure to use state taxpayer money to help pay for former President Donald Trump’s legal fees. DeSantis’ threat to veto the bill—which stood little chance of reaching his desk in the first place—came less than 24 hours after the governor suspended his presidential campaign and threw his endorsement behind Trump.
The bill to assist the legally embattled former president was introduced by Republican state Senator Ileana Garcia at the start of the legislative session. According to the motion, Florida would be able to give Donald Trump up to $5 million to cover legal fees in the four ongoing criminal cases against him. The payment was framed as an open-ended handout to any presidential candidates who are also Florida residents and are experiencing “political discrimination”—a group that currently consists of only one person.
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“We’re in the midst of an historic moment where we’re watching an election that’s trying to be stolen by left wing prosecutors, the Biden Administration, and even Blue States,” Garcia said in a statement. “They’re not trying to win at the ballot box; they’re trying to keep President Trump off the ballot by weaponizing the courts.”
“Having a Floridian in the White House is good for our state,” she continued. “Anything we can do to support Florida Presidential candidates, like President Trump, will not only benefit our state, but our nation.”
Garcia’s motion was backed by Jimmy Patronis, Florida’s Republican chief financial officer. However, other Republicans in the state were reluctant to back her proposal—none more so than Ron DeSantis.
Related: Ron DeSantis Suspends Presidential Campaign, Endorses Trump
Responding to a POLITICO headline declaring that “some Florida Republicans want taxpayers to pay Trump’s legal bills,” DeSantis replied, “But not the Florida Republican who wields the veto pen…”
But not the Florida Republican who wields the veto pen… https://t.co/kkc2yyqVK0
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) January 23, 2024
DeSantis’ clear threat to veto the bill effectively ended its legislative momentum, but even according to the POLITICO report, there was little chance of it ever reaching the governor’s office to begin with. In addition to having little support in the state senate, no companion bill has been introduced in the Florida House and Republican leadership has not promoted it as an agenda item.
“There also could be legal questions about the bill since Florida has strict procedural rules regarding legislation that is tailored to an individual or a single business,” the outlet noted.
Garcia withdrew the bill shortly after DeSantis’ remarks on Monday night, responding that “this bill was filed on January 5th amidst a crowded primary, including two Florida residents.”
“My concern was the political weaponization against conservative candidates…one frontrunner now remains, and he can handle himself. I will be withdrawing the bill.”
This bill was filed on January 5th amidst a crowded primary, including two Florida residents.
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… https://t.co/wieqYQ8Woq
— Ileana Garcia (@IleanaGarciaUSA) January 23, 2024
Given the unlikelihood of the bill ever reaching his desk, DeSantis’ uncharacteristically snarky response to the motion has been seen by some as a backhanded swipe at Trump. The previous day, DeSantis suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed the Republican frontrunner as the only defense against “the old Republican Guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form of warmed over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.”
Connor Walcott is a staff writer covering politics, culture, and business for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X (Twitter) and look for him on VT’s newest show, “The Unusual Suspects.”
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