Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized congressional Republicans on Thursday for what he described as a lack of progress in supporting President Donald Trump’s agenda since the start of the year.
Speaking at a roundtable event hosted by New College of Florida, DeSantis asked, “What have they done?” in reference to GOP lawmakers’ efforts since January.
Newsweek has contacted the Republican National Committee for comment.
Why It Matters
DeSantis’ criticism of Congress follows his recent signing of a series of hard-line immigration laws in Florida aimed at helping Trump implement mass deportation policies. The governor’s apparent efforts to realign with Trump—his former ally and 2024 Republican primary rival—come amid speculation that DeSantis is preparing for a potential 2028 White House bid, or hoping to launch first lady Casey DeSantis’ own political ambitions.
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What to Know
DeSantis appeared at the roundtable alongside White House border czar Tom Homan and former acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf.
He used the event to highlight his 2025 immigration agenda, which includes creating a new state crime for entering Florida after crossing into the U.S. illegally and requiring state law enforcement to cooperate with and be trained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These policies stand in contrast to those of so-called sanctuary cities.
The governor said the actions of his administration contrasts with what he called a lack of initiative among Republicans in Congress.
DeSantis accused much of modern Congress of engaging in “political theater” rather than “substantive” work.
He also renewed his call for congressional term limits, a position he also promoted in January 2024, when he said such limits would “incentivize better behavior” in Washington.
“What have you actually done,” he asked Republican lawmakers on Thursday, pressing them on their efforts to help advance Trump’s immigration agenda since the start of the current congressional term.
DeSantis also emphasized that Congress is squandering the critical momentum of a new administration’s first 100 days—particularly given that the GOP holds both the House and Senate.
Separately, Homan said during Thursday’s roundtable that some Republican senators “need to leave” or be voted out because they are “not doing the right thing.”
Despite praising Florida’s immigration agenda, the laws arrived after DeSantis received major push back and rebellion from state Republicans.
The Florida legislature rejected DeSantis’ calls for a special legislative session to push through the governor’s immigration proposals, instead advancing their own legislative package on January 27.
Following weeks of negotiations, during which DeSantis seemed to soften his attacks on the lawmakers who opposed his plans, the governor signed the Tackling and Reforming Unlawful Migration Policy (TRUMP) Act laws on February 13, which rejected a number of DeSantis’ original proposals.
What People Are Saying
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during Thursday’s roundtable: “So much of the modern Congress is just performative. It’s just political theater. It’s not substantive. They’re not engaged in the business of accomplishment. It’s all about putting on a show to get returned to office and stay there as long as possible. It’s one of the reasons why I think we need term limits for members of Congress.
“You turn on cable news and you’ve got these guys jabbing. It’s like, what have you done? I know you like to jab. I know you like to talk. What have you actually done? President Trump’s only been in for 60 days—maybe a little more. Congress was in almost two or three weeks before that. So since Jan. 3, what have they done? How many weeks have they had off for fundraising and junkets and all this other stuff? Why aren’t they attuned to what needs to be done to deliver support for the president’s agenda?
“When you have a new president come in, you have a certain period of time where you have a lot of momentum. Naturally, the momentum in the first 100 days is going to be greater than two years later. That’s just how politics works. And I just don’t see Congress seizing the moment or understanding that this is different—that we actually have a chance to make serious changes.”
Border czar Tom Homan on Thursday: “Let us not forget, under Trump 1—Trump 45—we had the House and the Senate. They didn’t help him. So they didn’t learn lessons from the first administration. We have the House and Senate in Trump 47. What have they done? Nothing. So hopefully they wake up, and some Republican senators in Congress need to leave too—they’re not doing the right thing.”
What Happens Next
Fort Myers City Council rejected the proposed immigration partnership with the federal government, sparking a rift between DeSantis and Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier.
DeSantis warned Thursday that his office may suspend officials who do not compel local law enforcement to assist ICE with detainments and deportations.
