NEW: Top Florida Republicans Stun MAGA, Break With Trump On Key Issue

Florida Republicans are blowing a gasket after the Trump administration rolled out a new plan to open drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, a move that puts the former president at odds with some of his most loyal allies in the Sunshine State.

“The new maps released today by @SecretaryBurgum and @Interior outlining potential new offshore oil drilling sites in the Gulf of America are HIGHLY concerning—and we will be engaging directly with the department on this issue,” GOP Sen. Ashley Moody wrote on X. She added that “Preserving our state’s natural beauty is deeply important to the millions who call the Sunshine State home, our visitors, and those whose livelihoods depend on tourism.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office piled on, reminding the administration that Trump himself locked down Florida’s coasts in 2020. “Our Administration supports the 2020 Presidential Memorandum and urges the Department of Interior to reconsider and to conform to the 2020 Trump Administration policy,” spokesperson Molly Best said.

The split is notable. Trump adopted Florida as his home turf in 2019, planting himself at Mar-a-Lago on the Atlantic. But a new initiative to drill in the Gulf of America is facing blowback.

The administration’s plan, unveiled Thursday, is sweeping. It would expand U.S. offshore drilling in multiple regions, including California and the Gulf. California might fight it on politics alone, but Florida’s pushback is coming from inside Trump’s own tent. The state that went from purple to reliably red is suddenly telling its favorite Republican to pump the brakes.

It is also a reversal from Trump’s first term, when he blocked drilling off Florida’s coastline through 2032. Sen. Rick Scott made clear online that he wants the old policy back. “Florida’s beautiful beaches and coastal waters are so important to our state’s economy, environment, and military community,” he wrote, saying he worked closely with Trump to secure the moratorium. “I have been speaking to @SecretaryBurgum and made my expectations clear that this moratorium must remain in place, and that in any plan, Florida’s coasts must remain off the table for oil drilling.”

The oil industry says drilling in the Gulf is essential to sustain long-term production. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s updated estimate of 7.04 billion barrels in reserves bolsters its case. “Exploring nearby areas is not only smart policy, it can be a smart investment decision,” National Ocean Industries Association president Erik Milito said. “It keeps the region attractive for capital, extends its productive life, and leverages the strengths that have made the Gulf one of the world’s most successful offshore basins.”

But Florida voters have never been shy about their stance. Nearly 70 percent approved a drilling ban in 2018, still rattled by memories of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster that fouled beaches and chased away an estimated 4.15 million trips to the state.

DeSantis has leaned heavily into concerns about both the environment and military readiness, noting that the Panhandle’s bases rely on access to the Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range. “What the Interior Department is proposing to do is really to go back off that policy, and I think that would weaken protections that we worked very hard to establish offshore,” he said. “Yes, part of it is environmental. But part of it is military training.”

A group of GOP House members echoed that point in a letter to the Interior Department, blasting an upcoming offshore leasing auction. They warned that the sale includes blocks that sit too far east, jeopardizing key missions at Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field, Tyndall Air Force Base, and Naval Air Station Pensacola.

“We are writing to express concern about a small portion of the blocks available for lease under the Big Beautiful Gulf Lease Sale,” they wrote, calling out tracts inside the critical military range.

For now, Florida’s Republicans and Trump find themselves on opposite sides of a rare fight.

Download the FREE Trending Politics App to get the latest news FIRST >>