The 2024 Republican Primary for Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has received a blow from within the Sunshine State. State Senator Joe Gruters (R-FL) has recently claimed Gov. DeSantis intentionally vetoed several Sarasota County projects because Sen. Gruters endorsed Donald Trump for President.
"The Governor is clearly upset I endorsed Donald Trump for President, and so he took it out on the people of Sarasota County," said Sen. Gruters.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune detailed the specific projects included in the state budget Gov. DeSantis removed through line-item veto from his "Framework for Freedom," including plans to rebuild Midnight Pass, relocate a fire station, and widen Fruitville Road.
As such, Sen. Gruters felt that he and Trump "understand that people come first, and it's our job to deliver clean water, jobs, and a better America for the next generation."
DeSantis, on the other hand, "clearly sees politics differently," Gruters continued.
The Damage:
—$4M Fruitville Road
—$20M Nursing school at USF
—$250K Bobby Jones
—$1M Alligator Creek pipes
—$600K Sarasota School of the Arts
—$1.5M Education Foundation $1M Midnight Pass
—$800K Whitaker and Hudson Bayou
"Simply because I support his political opponent, the governor chose to punish ordinary Floridians who want better water quality, less traffic congestion, and increased resources for disabled children to find gainful employment. It's mean-spirited acts like this that are defining him here and across the country," Gruters concluded.
Notably, Gruters is the only member of Florida's state-level Republicans to endorse Trump over DeSantis for President. The Trump campaign claimed in May that DeSantis intimidated the Florida Legislature to endorse him "with the threat of his veto pen."
"It’s no surprise that Ron DeSantis and his political cronies have continued to terrorize the Florida legislature with the threat of his veto pen if they don’t acquiesce to his demand to endorse his candidacy," said sources within the Trump campaign.
Gruter's remark comes hot on the heels of $82 million being transferred from the Empower Parents Political Action Committee (PAC), which raised funds for DeSantis's 2022 gubernatorial campaign; to the 2024 Presidential campaign PAC Never Back Down. While legal, the transfer dangerously blurs ethical lines, which pro-Trump influencer Laura Loomer called "fraudulent fundraising tactics."
