Connect with us

Florida

DeSantis’ hold on Florida Is slipping. Trump could deliver the final blow

Published

on

DeSantis’ hold on Florida Is slipping. Trump could deliver the final blow


Governor DeSantis began to accumulate power during the COVID-19 pandemic and became especially popular among conservative Republicans in Florida and across the country.

He allowed businesses to reopen, required in-person education earlier than most other states, and took a strong stance against vaccine and mask mandates. He then began his attacks on critical race theory, DEI, and other “woke” policies which were even more popular with conservatives.

Lots of conservatives began moving to the “Free State of Florida,” he was able to raise more than $200 million of dollars for his reelection—a record for any governors race in the U.S.—Florida voter registration and voting became much more Republican, DeSantis won a 2nd term in a landslide—the highest percent of the vote for a Republican candidate in Florida history. DeSantis’ national profile rose and he eventually ran against Trump.

During this 5-year period, the legislature stopped acting like an independent branch of government: partly because many Republican members and the leadership agreed with his conservative policies but also partly because they feared DeSantis because of his popularity, his money, his vetoes, and his reputation for political vindictiveness.

Advertisement

Some examples of this are attacking Disney for speaking out against the Don’t Say Gay Bill, removing elected local government officials over policy and political disagreements, vetoing the legislative priorities of the leadership and then making a joke about it while they were on stage with him, and threatening to go after Republicans who disagreed with him in primary elections.

But now, the legislature is seeking to reassert itself as an independent branch of government that acts as a check and balance to the executive. This is happening now because the new House Speaker and Senate President have decided that the legislature needs to reassert itself as it has traditionally done.

In the two decades before DeSantis—and even in his first year—the legislature and governor’s office have been controlled by Republicans. They often agreed on policy, but sometimes they had differences, and the governor treated the legislature with respect and as an equal branch.

It is also happening now because Governor DeSantis’ perceived power has gone down: he ran against Trump and lost by a wide margin which reduced DeSantis’ aura of invincibility—he is a lame duck governor with 2 years left who cannot run for reelection—and he does not have $200 million to threaten members.

DeSantis Called Florida Immigration Bill Weak

Photo Illustration by Newsweek/Getty Images

The governor precipitated this political reckoning when he insisted on calling a special session just 5 weeks before the legislature would meet in regular session and doing so with little advance notice or consultation with the Senate President and House Speaker who had made clear they did not think it was necessary to do so.

Advertisement

Objectively, the legislature’s bill is not “weak” on illegal immigration. It creates a bunch of new policies to crack down on illegal immigration in Florida making life much harder for people living here without documentation and much easier for them to be removed by the federal government with much more assistance from the state.

It is different than the governor’s bill in several major ways, including putting oversight and enforcement of the new law under the Commissioner of Agriculture instead of the governor, it requires law enforcement to use their best efforts to cooperate with federal immigration authorities but does not threaten law enforcement with job loss or financial penalties, and it would not track and/or make it unlawful for undocumented people to wire money to family back in their home country.

Politically, this is bringing Florida back to what we have normally seen—and what is found in most states over time. The legislature is a coequal branch of government with the executive branch. But we don’t know for sure what will happen yet and DeSantis could yet impose his will on the legislature.

The big unknown currently is Donald Trump. If he takes a side the fight will likely end pretty quickly, and if he sides with the governor, the legislature will almost certainly back down. If he backs the legislature than DeSantis’ political reputation will take a big hit. If Trump stays out of the fight, then it might be a long battle, but DeSantis will clearly be politically weaker than he has been and his political prospects for the future somewhat dimmer.

If there is a big crackdown on illegal immigration in Florida across the board then it will hurt the state’s economy. There are an estimated 800,000 undocumented or illegal immigrants in Florida and most of them are working in agriculture, construction, and the service industry like hotels and restaurants.

Advertisement

Aubrey Jewett, PhD, is Associate Director and Associate Professor in the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs at the University of Central Florida and the co-author of Politics in Florida, 5th edition.

All views expressed are the author’s own.



Source link

Advertisement

Florida

Tallahassee gas prices rise due to Iran war; how to find cheapest pump prices

Published

on

Tallahassee gas prices rise due to Iran war; how to find cheapest pump prices


If you’re kicking yourself for not filling up your vehicle over the weekend or earlier this week, you have good reason.

Gas prices have been going up steadily — sometimes sharply — since the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran started Saturday, Feb. 28.

In Tallahassee, prices have jumped 26 cents from last week with an average gallon of gas currently sitting at $3.08, according to AAA. The highest price on record in Florida’s capital city was $4.84 a gallon in June 2022.

Advertisement

Since Monday, March 2, Florida gas prices have jumped almost 36 cents for a gallon of regular, according to AAA.

The war is spreading throughout the Middle East and at least six U.S. soldiers have been killed, including one from Florida.

Live updates: Senate won’t check Trump’s war

Here’s what you should know as the war with Iran continues.

Florida not alone in worrying about rising gas prices

Advertisement
play

Gas prices surge as Iran war closes Strait of Hormuz

Gas prices rise as Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz threatening oil supply and raising fears of global economic fallout.

Gas prices were already rising before the attacks on Iran began Feb. 28. It’s a regular seasonal swing as spring arrives, according to AAA. 

➤ Americans fret over gas prices as Iran war widens

Iran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks that have now killed at least six U.S. servicemembers, including one from Florida.

Advertisement

➤ Florida Army Reserve captain killed in Iran war

Analysts said the war will likely drive up prices by an additional 20 to 30 cents per gallon, partly due to supply issues and partly due to global uncertainty.

Here’s a look at gas prices per gallon of regular provided by AAA this week:

  • March 5: $3.251
  • March 4: $3.19
  • March 3: $3.061

Compare to:

  • Week ago: $2.983
  • Month ago: $2.891
  • Year ago: $3.107

What’s average price of gas in Florida?

AAA posted the average price in Florida on March 5 was $3.241, slightly less than the national average of $3.251.

Here’s a comparison of the daily average price of a gallon of regular this week as provided by AAA:

Advertisement
  • March 5: $3.241
  • March 4: $3.198
  • March 3: $3.068
  • March 2: $2.883

In comparison:

  • Week ago average: $2.940
  • Month ago average: $2.882
  • Year ago average: $3.084

Will Florida gas prices keep going up?

The national average price of gas is “likely to move toward $3.10 to $3.15 (per gallon) within one to two weeks … and to $3.20 to $3.25 within two to three weeks,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis with GasBuddy, on March 1.

On March 2, DeHaan said he expected gas prices “at average stations” nationally to increase by 10 to 30 cents in the coming week.

President Trump: Oil prices may be high ‘for a little while’

President Donald Trump told reporters March 3 oil prices may be high “for a little while.”

As soon as the war ends, “these prices are going to drop, I believe even lower than before,” Trump said. 

In a post on TruthSocial March 3, Trump said: “If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD.”

How can you find the cheapest gas?

Whether you’re traveling or at home, gasbuddy.com offers information to find the cheapest prices for gasoline.

Advertisement

Enter your state, city or ZIP code to find the Top 10 gas stations and cheap fuel prices.

Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://palmbeachpost.com/newsletters.



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

Florida college Republicans group chat reveals racist texts: ‘Avoid the coloreds like the plague’

Published

on

Florida college Republicans group chat reveals racist texts: ‘Avoid the coloreds like the plague’


It only took three weeks for a group chat for conservative students at Florida International University (FIU) to become a place where participants eagerly used racist slurs, prompting widespread condemnation from community leaders.

Abel Alexander Carvajal, secretary of Miami-Dade county’s Republican party and a student at FIU’s College of Law, reportedly started the chat after the killing of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, in September 2025.

But on Wednesday, the Miami Herald published leaked WhatsApp conversations in which the college Republicans made racist, sexist, antisemitic and homophobic comments, including variations of the N-word used more than 400 times. Knowledge of the chat’s existence was revealed on the same day that Republican lawmakers in Florida pushed forward a bill to rename a one-mile stretch of road alongside FIU in honor of Kirk.

William Bejerano, who the Herald noted once tried to start an anti-abortion group at Miami Dade College, was the most prolific user of the N-word. Using the slur, Bejerano called for dozens of acts of extreme violence against Black people, including crucifying, beheading and dissecting.

Advertisement

Dariel Gonzalez, then the College Republicans’ recruitment chair, who has recently applied to become a GOP committee member, responded to the calls for violence by saying: “How edgy.” He repeatedly used “colored” to describe Black people, including writing: “Ew you had colored professors?!” and “Avoid the coloreds like the plague,” according to the Herald.

Carvajal, who was appointed to a two-year role on the city of Hialeah’s planning and zoning board earlier this year, confirmed to the paper that the group chat was his doing, but he denied knowledge of the problematic comments until the publication contacted him about its logs last week.

“It’s been five months since this was sent and this is the first time I’ve seen this message,” Carvajal told the Herald.

“I guess to an extent, I bear some responsibility, cause I created a chat. But if I had seen this at the moment, I would have removed [Bejerano] from the chat. I probably would have even blocked his number.”

The Herald found that Carvajal had deleted 14 messages sent by other participants in the chat and 42 of his own messages before the publication obtained the chat’s logs.

Advertisement

He also participated in some of the racist discussions. While referring to a Black student who allegedly left FIU’s College Republicans after a member of the group “called her a [N-word]”, the Floridian reported that Carvajal wrote: “Why didn’t miggress leave?” Elsewhere in the chat, the publication reported that Carvajal used “Miggress”, “Migglet” and “Migger” to refer to Black women, Black children and Black people, in general.

At one point, Gonzalez wrote: “You can fuck all the [K-word, a slur for Jewish people] you want. Just don’t marry them and procreate.”

Ian Valdes, the Turning Point USA FIU chapter president, responded, “I would def not marry a Jew,” before changing the group chat’s name from “Uber [R-word slur for disabled people] Yapping” to “Gooning in Agartha”. “Gooning” is a gen-Z slang term for male masturbation, while “Agartha” is a mythical white civilization promoted by Heinrich Himmler, one of the most powerful leaders in Nazi Germany next to Hitler.

Gonzalez reportedly described Agartha to the group chat as “Nazi heaven sort of”.

Kevin Cooper, the first Jewish chair of the Miami Dade Republican party, condemned the group chat in a statement published to X and called for Carvajal’s resignation.

Advertisement

“The majority of our board voted to request Carvajal’s resignation. We have commenced removal proceedings and look forward to resolution from the Republican Party of Florida,” he wrote.

That call was echoed by Juan Porras, a Republican state representative and Miami-Dade GOP state committee member, who said in a statement: “Leadership carries responsibility. When someone in a leadership role engages in this kind of behavior, it damages the trust placed in our party by voters across Florida. For that reason, I am asking the Miami Dade Republican party secretary to step down from this position.”

In a joint statement, Florida Republican state senators Alexis Calatayud, Ileana Garcia and Ana Maria Rodriguez denounced the chats and called for the expulsion from party leadership of its participants.

“The individuals in the group chat have exposed how profoundly misaligned their beliefs are to the views of the Republican party of Florida,” their statement said. “We call for the immediate expulsion of the individuals disseminating from any level of leadership of the Miami-Dade Republican Party … We will not tolerate bigotry or discrimination.”

Multiple leaked group chats from young Republicans have created controversy in recent years.

Advertisement

Last year, Politico published messages from a group chat of more than 100 conservatives across the country in which users also made racist and antisemitic comments. In 2022, a Young Republican group chat from North Dakota was revealed as a cesspool of homophobic and antisemitic rhetoric.



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

Federal judge blocks DeSantis executive order declaring CAIR a 'terrorist organization'

Published

on

Federal judge blocks DeSantis executive order declaring CAIR a 'terrorist organization'


A federal court in Tallahassee has issued a temporary injunction blocking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order designating the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) a “terrorist organization.” U.S. District Judge Mark Walker’s order comes nearly three months after DeSantis signed his executive order on Dec. 8. The order directed Florida’s executive and Cabinet agencies, as […]



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending