Ron finally gets tough with Don! DeSantis rules out Florida taxpayers covering Trump’s legal bills – one day after dropping out of the race and endorsing GOP giant

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says taxpayers will not be responsible for former President Donald Trump’s legal bills.

One day after suspending his campaign for the White House, he shot down efforts by some Florida Republicans to set aside millions of dollars in public money to help pay for Trump’s legal battle.

A Miami Republican who supports Trump’s re-election has already introduced a bill that would allow the Sunshine State to hand out up to $5 million to the former president.

But despite now supporting Trump for the 2024 presidential election, Governor DeSantis said in a tweet that he would not approve the funds.

Some Florida Republicans have proposed allocating millions of taxpayer dollars to help fund Trump’s legal battle with a bill introduced in the Senate. Trump is pictured in court on January 11

DeSantis made clear in a tweet that he would not approve such funds, pushing back efforts by some Florida Republicans to pass the bill.

Some Florida Republicans want taxpayers to pay Trump’s legal bills Politics read.

“But not the veto-wielding Florida Republican…,” DeSantis responded in a follow-up message.

Approval has already been received from Jimmy Patronis, the state’s Republican chief financial officer.

Patronis is advocating that taxpayers foot the bill and pay for Trump’s defense in his criminal charges.

Trump’s legal bills are piling up as he handles four separate criminal cases: a federal case over the hoarding of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago; in New York a case involving the payment of hush money to a porn star; in Georgia for election interference, while in Washington he is accused of overturning the 2020 election.

“We are in the midst of a historic moment as we watch an election attempted to be stolen by left-wing prosecutors, the Biden administration and even Blue States,” Republican Senator Ileana Garcia said in a statement.

Trump leaves his apartment building in New York on Monday

DeSantis announced his withdrawal from the Republican presidential candidacy in a pre-recorded statement on Sunday

“They’re not trying to win at the ballot box; they are trying to keep President Trump off the ballot by arming the courts. Having a Floridian in the White House is good for our state – and anything we can do to support Florida presidential candidates like President Trump will benefit not only our state, but our nation.”

Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, who switched her support to Trump after DeSantis dropped out, would not weigh in on whether she would support Garcia’s bill.

“President Trump has the resources to cover his legal costs; However, many people do not do so, which is Senator Garcia’s concern,” Passidomo said in a statement from her office.

Across the room, Florida Democratic Party Chairman Nikki Fried appeared disgusted by Republicans’ warped priorities.

“This shows who the Republican Party in Florida is loyal to, because it’s certainly not the people of Florida. Senator Garcia’s victim card is a disgrace and should inflame every Floridian who cares about where their tax dollars go,” Fried said. Politics.

This is not the first time that Trump has demanded that Americans pay his legal fees.

In a November 2022 lawsuit, Trump demanded that taxpayers foot the bill for any costs related to a subpoena he might face.

Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R), who switched her support to Trump after DeSantis dropped out, would not be asked whether she would support the bill

Trump will appear in federal court in New York on Monday

On Sunday, DeSantis suspended his presidential campaign, two days before the New Hampshire primary, and endorsed Trump.

“It is clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance. They saw how his presidency was stymied by brutal resistance and they saw how Democrats continue to use the law to attack him to this day,” DeSantis said.

“While I have had disagreements with Donald Trump, for example over the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent, Joe Biden. That’s clear,” he said.

In return, Trump thanked DeSantis for his support and stated that it was “highly unlikely” that he would play a role in his administration.

“I have a lot of great people, and I have great people who have been with me from the beginning,” Trump said.