DeSantis Team Accuses Trump Ally of Taking Big Pot Money—While Ignoring Trump's Endorsement of Pot Amendment

TALLAHASSEE, FL—Donald Trump has once more put himself at odds with Gov. Ron DeSantis—this time over a recreational marijuana amendment—leading the Floridian's communications team to cyber-attack a Trump-allied lawmaker.

Again.

"It’s a shame that someone like [Sen. Joe Gruters] would support an amendment that has virtually no checks on where and how marijuana can be consumed—putting kids at risk," DeSantis' Chief of Staff, James Uthmeier, wrote on X. "Someone should check who has given him political $ and then see who is backing this amendment. Hmmm…"

Sen. Gruters, a Trump-allied state Senator, announced his support last month of a ballot initiative legalizing recreational marijuana for adults—Amendment 3—to mild discontent from state Republican leaders. It wasn't until Saturday morning when Trump signaled his support of the measure that DeSantis' team came out in full force against Gruters, the former GOP Chair, as they accused him of taking money from the marijuana company backing the amendment: Trulieve.

Of note, none mentioned that Trump was also supporting the amendment.

"How much has Joe Gruters, who is preparing to run for a statewide office, taken from one large marijuana corporation that has funded over $70M towards this effort? It begs the question… What’s in it for them?" Jeremy Redfern, DeSantis' press secretary, posited online.

"Follow the money! Vote no on 3. It's a corporate interest power grab on our state constitution," said the Governor's communications director Bryan Griffin.

According to campaign finance reports dating back to 2020, Trulieve donated $1,000 to Gruters in 2020, and another $1,000 in 2022. They have not contributed to his recently announced bid for Chief Financial Officer in 2026.

This is the second time this week that the Governor's team has publicly blasted a Trump-allied state Lawmaker. On Wednesday, it was Rep. Randy Fine, a Trump-endorsed candidate for state Senate, who was teased for his Harvard degree after he criticized Americans (including DeSantis) for visiting Ireland, a nation he said supports "Muslim terror" because they recognized Palestine as a state.

In retaliation for the "clown show" Harvard jabs, Fine said he would call on the Senate President and Speaker of the House to investigate which positions are truly "necessary" within the Governor's office. Fine also called out the team's attacks on Gruters, writing, "There is something very wrong in the Governor's office. And I say this as someone who could not more strongly oppose Amendment 3."

If passed by at least 60% of the electorate in November, Amendment 3 will become enshrined in the state's constitution. The measure grants adults 21 and over the ability to possess, purchase, or use up to three ounces of recreational marijuana, and allows the state Legislature to pass laws regulating the circumstances of where it's used and who can sell it.