Trump's campaign accuses DeSantis of threatening veto power for Florida endorsements

Former President Donald Trump's campaign is accusing Gov. Ron DeSantis of threatening Florida lawmakers with his veto power to acquire their presidential endorsement.

But two Palm Beach County lawmakers who endorsed DeSantis aren't buying that story.

After the main super PAC backing DeSantis for 2024, Never Back Down, released a list of Florida state lawmaker endorsements May 17, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement that DeSantis' team got the support because of "the threat of his veto pen if they don’t acquiesce to his demand to endorse his candidacy."

"There are some brave legislators who have stood up to DeSantis’ Swamp-like behavior and resisted his intimidation tactics in order to do what is right for Florida and the country," Cheung said in the email. "Those who he can’t control — including almost the entirety of the Florida federal congressional delegation — have endorsed President Trump because he’s the only candidate who can beat Joe Biden and take back the White House.”

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"That's preposterous," said state Rep. Mike Caruso, a Republican who represents the West Palm Beach area, about the accusation that DeSantis threatened legislators. Caruso was listed as one of 99 lawmakers in the Florida Legislature endorsing DeSantis for president. "The last four sessions, the governor has been so generous in appropriations to me of about $160 million worth of appropriations. Never even crossed my mind."

"It's just politics," Caruso said about Trump's campaign statement. He said he thinks the campaign is putting out that messaging to "create a storyline and then sell it."

State Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a freshman Republican lawmaker who represents Boca Raton, said she wouldn't stand for any threat to her funding projects, and that she did not hear or know of any accusations from the governor's veto power.

Gossett-Seidman's top projects are in line with her campaign priorities, including $9 million she procured for flooding, environmental issues, seawall restoration and roadway widening. All funding projects gathered by appropriations and sent to the governor are yet to be approved, but now legislators are playing a waiting game coming after a divisive session tackling top conservative issues.

Florida's governor enjoys the benefits of the line-item veto, which allows him to strike out the parts he does not agree with in the budget, which could mean millions of dollars from a legislator's project. DeSantis' funding review is expected to be completed by June since the budget goes into effect July 1.

Trump's campaign accusations come ahead of an expected announcement from the governor of a presidential run. DeSantis, who has recently trailed behind Trump in national polls for a presidential primary, has been making stops nationally in early primary states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, acquiring support from his conservative base. He's expected to make his official entrance into the 2024 race Tuesday night.

A DeSantis announcement would launch local conservative politicos into a divide between the former president, who resides locally in his Mar-a-Lago estate on Palm Beach, or the governor, who has led the state since 2018 and made national headlines for his handling of the pandemic and his "culture war" policies.

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Florida GOP legislators back DeSantis while Trump has congressional members

Only 13 lawmakers in the Florida Legislature have not specified whether they'd endorse Trump or DeSantis in a presidential run, including Rep. Rick Roth, a Republican who represents West Palm Beach.

In addition to Gossett-Seidman and Caruso, DeSantis also nabbed the endorsement of Republican state Sen. Gayle Harrell, who represents Martin County and northern Palm Beach County. All of the state lawmakers who endorsed the governor signed a form pledging their support, according to a source familiar with the matter.

While DeSantis got the support of a large majority of Florida's Legislature, Trump so far has acquired most of the Florida congressional members' support. So far, DeSantis was only able to get an endorsement from U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, a former Florida secretary of state appointed by the governor.

Caruso, who represents the district home to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, said that DeSantis has been a "strong leader for the state of Florida," and that leadership would work well in Washington.

"I've enjoyed serving under him for the last four years," Caruso said. "I think he's done an outstanding job. I think that he is a strong leader and has worked well with the Legislature, to make Florida a free state that is thriving and is leading the nation."

Caruso said a legislative member, not from the governor's office, reached out to him to ask his position on the presidential primary. He said this member gave him a form to sign, and he signed it. Caruso did not specify any reasons that he wouldn't endorse Trump, but he pointed to his reasons for supporting DeSantis.

Although DeSantis had not yet announced his candidacy, Gossett-Seidman said she was committed to endorsing the governor for president after working "with and for the governor."

"This is a very precarious situation to have the former president, who I respect, and the former governor, who I work with and for, so we just have to see who works out," Gossett-Seidman said. "He's leading the state in a good direction, that's why everyone's pouring in here."

Stephany Matat is a politics reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY-Florida network. Reach her at smatat@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump accuses DeSantis of threatening vetoes for Florida endorsements