Florida's GOP senators are undercutting DeSantis on Disney fight

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is widely expected to declare his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the 2024 U.S. presidential race, is being undermined by his own party's senators.

DeSantis has faced an uphill battle in his fight against Disney, which first caught the interest of the potential presidential contender by opposing his "Don't Say Gay" policy. Recently, DeSantis reportedly promised there is no chance that he will let up on his battle against Disney, which has announced a lawsuit and that it has scrapped plans for a nearly $1 billion office complex that was scheduled to be built in Orlando.

In large part due to the Disney debacle, some of DeSantis' rivals have reported not being afraid to face him.

Even within his own state and his own party, senators have undermined DeSantis on the fight with Disney, as highlighted by Newsweek.

"With the economic impact of DeSantis's war with Disney continuing to grow, Florida's Republican senators in Washington, D.C., have spoken out, urging caution for the governor moving forward," it reported. "Senator Rick Scott, who previously held the governorship from 2011 to 2019, noted in an interview how vital Disney is to the state's economy, according to The Hill."

"This is the biggest or second-biggest employer in the state," Scott said, according to Newsweek. "Half the tourism that comes to our state comes to visit Disney. It's a reason people come to our state. After they come there, people move there. So I think cooler heads need to prevail. My view is we have to do everything to help our businesses grow."

The outlet further reported that Marco Rubio made related statements.

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"Senator Marco Rubio, meanwhile had similar comments on the situation during an interview with Fox News last month," Newsweek wrote.

"'I think where it gets problematic in the eyes of some people is when you start creating the idea—and I'm not saying we're there yet as a state—but the idea that somehow if you run crossways with us politically, whoever's in charge, then you may wind up in the crosshairs of the legislature for political purposes to make a statement at you,' Rubio said," Newsweek reported.

"Speaking further, Rubio floated the prospect of a future Democratic governor targeting Chick-fil-A, a popular fast food chain noted for the conservative politics and devout Christian beliefs of its corporate leadership."