On Wednesday, State Senator Joe Gruters, a Republican who is a close ally of Mr. Trump, made an open show of defiance against Mr. DeSantis by voting no on a bill related to Disney. The bill — part of a yearlong feud between the company and Mr. DeSantis that has energized segments of the Republican base while alienating some members of the donor class — would nullify development agreements involving Disney.
In a statement, Mr. Gruters, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said that the state should “support our job creators” and avoid influencing the behavior of corporations with “the heavy hand of government.”
While he was the lone Republican to vote no, and the bill passed easily, the moment came as a sign that tensions between Mr. DeSantis and Mr. Trump are spelling the end of the days when the state party stood unanimously behind the governor.
Mr. DeSantis’s attacks on Disney have also recently led to criticism from national Republicans, including from Mr. Rubio, who expressed concern that businesses might grow afraid to come to Florida, as well as from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“I think it would be much better if he sat down and solved the problem,” Mr. McCarthy told CNBC on Thursday. The comments suggest a growing dissatisfaction with how the governor has handled the fight with one of America’s most influential corporations and could signal plans to align with Mr. Trump in the primary.
Local leaders have taken shots at Mr. DeSantis, too.
Last week, Mayor Francis Suarez of Miami, a Republican who may also run for president, criticized how Mr. DeSantis treats others during an appearance on Fox News. “Well, he seems to struggle with relationships, generally,” said Mr. Suarez, who has occasionally clashed with the governor over the years but had not attacked him so personally. “I mean, I look people in the eye when I shake their hands.”
Even Dwyane Wade, the popular former star for the N.B.A.’s Miami Heat, seemed to weigh in, saying in a television interview that he left Florida in part because of the state’s stance on transgender issues. (Mr. Wade’s teenage daughter is transgender.)