On Wednesday, State Senator Joe Gruters, a Republican close ally of Mr. Trump, made an overt show of defiance against Mr. DeSantis by voting no on a Disney-related bill. The bill – part of a year-long battle between the company and Mr. DeSantis — who has emboldened parts of the Republican base while alienating some members of the donor class — will scrap development deals involving Disney.
In a statement, Mr. Gruters, former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said the state should “support our job creators” and avoid influencing the behavior of corporations “with the heavy hand of government.”
While he was the lone Republican to vote no, and the bill quickly passed, the moment came as a sign that tensions between Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Trump spelled the end of the days when the state party united behind the governor.
Mr. DeSantis’ attacks on Disney have also recently drawn criticism from national Republicans, including from Mr. Rubio, who DECLARED concerns that businesses may be afraid to come to Florida, as well as from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“I think it’s better if he sits down and solves the problem,” Mr. McCarthy SPOKE CNBC on Thursday. The comments suggest a growing dissatisfaction with how the governor is handling the fight with one of America’s most influential corporations and could signal plans to align with Mr. Trump in the primary.
Local leaders also took shots at Mr. DeSantis, too.
Last week, Mayor Francis Suarez of Miami, a Republican who may also run for president, criticized how Mr. DeSantis treated others in an appearance on Fox News. “Well, he seems to struggle with relationships, generally,” said Mr. Suarez, who has occasionally clashed with the governor over the years but has never attacked him personally. “I mean, I look people in the eye when I shake their hands.”
Even Dwyane Wade, the famous former star of the NBA’s Miami Heat, seems to weigh in, saying in a television interview that he left Florida in part because of the state’s stance on transgender issues. (Mr. Wade’s teenage daughter is transgender.)