‘MEAN-SPIRITED ACTS’

Florida Republican Accuses DeSantis of Being Jealous He Endorsed Trump

While most Republicans in the Legislature have endorsed DeSantis, Sen. Joe Gruters is the only state lawmaker to endorse Donald Trump for president.

Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters (R) publicly challenged Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday for vetoing projects in his area, accusing him of retribution for having endorsed his rival. “The Governor is clearly upset I endorsed Donald Trump for President, and so he took it out on the people of Sarasota County,” Gruters said in a statement. “... 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.” The 45-year-old remains the only Florida lawmaker yet to endorse Trump for president, with most of his other lawmaker counterparts endorsing DeSantis. Gruters was Florida co-chair of Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016. In Sarasota County, seven of the dozen most recent funding requests made by local governments or affiliates have been vetoed, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.