Top Florida Republican votes against DeSantis' latest Disney bill as feud strains GOP

Cracks are starting to show in the Florida GOP's support for Gov. Ron DeSantis war with Disney after Sarasota state Sen. Joe Gruters − the former chair of the Republican Party of Florida - voted Wednesday against a bill pushed by the governor to rein in the company.

Gruters is one of the most prominent Republicans in the state, having led the Florida GOP from 2019 until earlier this year.

During that time, Gruters was a staunch supporter of DeSantis' agenda, but he also is an early backer of former President Donald Trump and is aligned with Trump in an expected presidential primary matchup between the two GOP heavyweights.

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Trump has been critical of DeSantis' feud with Disney, calling it "unnecessary" and a "political STUNT!" in a recent social media post.

“Disney’s next move will be the announcement that no more money will be invested in Florida because of the Governor – In fact, they could even announce a slow withdrawal or sale of certain properties, or the whole thing. Watch!,” Trump wrote. “That would be a killer.”

Gruters co-chaired Trump's Florida campaign in 2016 and attended a dinner last week at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's private club, where the former president gathered members of Florida's congressional delegation who have endorsed him over DeSantis.

Gruters was the only Republican in the Senate to vote Wednesday against legislation aimed at nullifying a pair of contractual agreements Disney made with a special district that governs the company's properties in Central Florida. The agreements allow Disney to sidestep state control, something DeSantis sought when he overhauled the special district and appointed its five-member board.

"We should be finding ways to support our job creators and turbocharge Florida's economy," Gruters said in a statement after his vote. "People's pocketbooks are more powerful at influencing corporate behavior than the heavy hand of government."

Disney vs. DeSantis timeline:What happened when Florida's governor took on the Mouse

A number of prominent Republicans nationally have criticized DeSantis' battle with Disney. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said “I don’t think Ron DeSantis is a conservative, based on his actions towards Disney.”

DeSantis enjoys unprecedented sway with Florida's GOP-controlled Legislature, though, and lawmakers have done his bidding in the Disney dispute and on a host of other high-profile issues.

The governor has been extremely popular with Florida Republicans, but is encountering more turbulence as he gears up to take on Trump.

U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican who recently endorsed Trump, tweeted last week that DeSantis is using the Legislature to advance his presidential ambitions.

"Sad to see the Florida House and Senate, two bodies I had the honor to serve in, carrying the water for an unannounced presidential campaign," Steube tweeted.

Disney sued DeSantis Wednesday, alleging a "targeted campaign of government retaliation" and stating that the company needed to protect itself against a "relentless effort to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials."

DeSantis has been feuding with Disney since the company opposed HB 1557, officially known as the Parental Rights in Education law but derided by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill.  He called the Legislature into special session to end Disney's self-governing status and take control of the special district that governs Disney's properties in Central Florida following the company's stance.

Shortly before that law took effect, though, Disney pushed through two contractual agreements − a development agreement and a declaration of restrictive covenants − that allow the company to avoid state oversight, prompting DeSantis to push for another round of legislation to nullify those agreements.

DeSantis' latest Disney bill cleared the Senate 27-13 Wednesday.