Gov. Ron Desantis loves to consider current events.
At an event on Monday, the governor embraced the possibility of Elon Musk’s new party and spoke about the fatal floods in Texas. Over the past few weeks, he has commented on New York City’s mayoral primary and Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani.
However, since its passing, DeSantis appears to have publicly given his views on President Donald Trump’s second term’s signature political achievements. Last week, the Tampa Bay Times asked DeSantis’ office five times about the governor’s views on one big, beautiful bill act. Desantis’ office did not respond.
Silence is particularly noteworthy given the huge impact the bill will have on Florida. The Florida Hospital Association said that reducing Medicaid in the package will reduce patient care, particularly in underserved areas, to give two examples from the massive 870-page bill. By cutting food aid, Congress must fill a potential multi-million dollar hole in Florida’s budget.
Desantis, a fair budget hawk, also has no opinion on the fact that the bill is expected to explode the federal deficit in the next decade. (On Monday, he vaguely spoke about his disapproval of Congressional spending, but he hadn’t spoken about Trump’s bill.)
He also did not celebrate hundreds of billions of dollars with new funds for tax cuts or immigration enforcement on the bill.
His silence is notable compared to other Republicans.
In June, other GOP governors wrote a letter praising the bill but criticising the AI regulations. Desantis posted a disapproval of the AI major to X, but he did not sign up for the letter. (The AI clause was eventually stripped.)
Since its passing, Republicans in Congress have promoted the bill, saying it is a huge victory for their constituents.
“The swamp said they can’t do that, but we proved they’re wrong. This is how we can make America stronger again, America safe again, and America great again,” Pinellas County Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna wrote in the constitutional book in an email newsletter.
GOP US Sen. Ashley Moody, appointed to her post by Desantis, cheered for the passage of the bill in a statement.
Republican US Sen. Rick Scott was somewhat qualified for praise for the bill, noting its large expenses. However, he also voted for the bill and issued an official statement after it passed.
“With this bill, you’ll be surprised to see more than $37 trillion in debt in our country, and so did I. But it’s an incomplete process of passing bills that bring elected individuals together to work for the state,” Scott writes.
Floridians need reading
Subscribe to our free Florida with our Focus Newsletter (coming soon)
Get the biggest story happening across the state every Wednesday.
You’re all signed up!
Want more free weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started.
Check out all options
Ultimately, every Florida Republican in Congress voted for one big beautiful bill law. (Rep. Thomas Massey of Kentucky, one of DeSantis’ biggest allies in Congress, was one of the few Republican votes.)
DeSantis’ quiet stance highlights the troublesome political position he is in as Florida’s resignation leader. Term Limitations 2027, the governor is widely viewed as a popular leader with a long list of conservative achievements in his hometown.
But DeSantis doesn’t seem to want to publicly criticize Trump’s legislative priorities, perhaps because he wants to run for a higher office in the future.
