Texas and Florida pride themselves on being the “freest” states in the U.S. In recent weeks, the claims have been called into question as “rogue” Republicans are accused of attempting to abandon the "America First" agenda for political gain.
Republicans in the Florida House and the Texas House have been at odds after a faction of GOP members have been accused of prioritizing power over conservative principles.
In Florida, tensions escalated after the House defied Governor Ron DeSantis (R) by introducing its own immigration bill, which the governor has vowed to veto. Meanwhile, in the Lone Star state, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) is facing backlash from his GOP colleagues who claim that he has provided Democrats with undue influence in the House.
Texas Rep. Steve Toth (R), a vocal critic of Speaker Burrows, is now calling on conservatives to oppose “rogue” Republicans allegedly derailing Florida and Texas from delivering an “America First” agenda.
“From Florida to Texas Red State Republicans Are Subverting America First Priorities Across The County”
The Federalist
This could not be more true@FDRLST pic.twitter.com/izEF6tMP7U— Steve Toth (@Toth_4_Texas) January 29, 2025
“From Florida to Texas, red state Republicans are subverting the ‘America First’ priorities across the country,” he commented in a video posted on X. “What’s going on in Florida? What’s going on in Texas? Well, you had 31 Republicans that could not get a majority of the Republican caucus, so what did they do to become speaker and to hold power? They turned to 62 liberal Democrats for help, and that is why we have the mess that we have here in Texas,” the Republican congressman lamented.
“That is why we’re gonna have a hard time helping Donald Trump advance the ‘America First’ agenda in Texas.”
State Rep. Toth posited that the divide within the party is not ideological. Instead, he believes that it’s rooted in political self-interest.
“Democrats are going to be awfully happy about it, but what it comes down to is selfishness,” he assessed. “Thirty-one Republicans that wanted to be in power. Thirty-one Republicans that were out of step with the MAGA movement. Thirty-one Republicans that instead of turning to the conservatives and asking for help, they turned to 62 Democrats, so now they have a coalition. Thirty-one Republicans, 62 Democrats, to run the Texas House. What could go wrong?” he questioned.
In Florida, Governor DeSantis’ immigration crackdown has been a cornerstone of his administration, but House Republicans have signaled a willingness to chart their own course. The rejection of DeSantis’ proposals marks a significant shift, with some seeing it as a sign of growing independence among GOP lawmakers, while others view it as a fracture in party unity.
