DeSantis and Florida House Leadership Trade Blows in Full-Blown GOP Civil War

Florida’s GOP is having a public family feud, and the gloves are officially off. Governor Ron DeSantis is blasting the state House leadership, accusing them of turning their backs on voters and pushing what he calls a "swamp-centric agenda." Meanwhile, House Speaker Daniel Perez is firing right back, claiming DeSantis himself has turned into the very swamp he once promised to drain. And you thought your holiday dinners were dramatic.

Despite Republicans holding massive majorities in both the House and Senate — plus the governor’s mansion — unity is nowhere in sight. In a recent post, DeSantis accused the House leadership of being at war with the very voters who gave them their supermajority, saying, "They do not want to see Florida continue on the conservative path. They're doing things to empower the left." He didn’t mince words, warning that the House’s current direction could send Florida back to swing-state status after years of solid red control: "The House is run based on fear and retribution."

Speaker Perez, not one to let things slide, responded with a scathing statement. He accused DeSantis of distracting from what he calls "gross financial mismanagement" under the governor's watch — citing everything from missing state vehicles to $160 million unaccounted for at the Agency for Health Care Administration. Perez argued the House has actually passed a budget billions lower than DeSantis’s, with bigger tax cuts and bold conservative measures, insisting, "We are proud to advance conservative reforms, but we won’t cover up mismanagement of taxpayer dollars."

Perez didn’t stop there. He claimed DeSantis governs by "fear and intimidation" and only wants a "compliant" legislature. According to him, DeSantis’s leadership style is less about teamwork and more about personal loyalty — and he’s not shy about calling out any dissenters.

DeSantis, who scored a landslide re-election in 2022 and then briefly ran for president before endorsing Donald Trump, now wants to leave a big legacy move: putting a constitutional amendment before voters to lower or even abolish property taxes. He argues property taxes are oppressive, amounting to paying rent to the government even if you own your home outright. "Why would we not … just do it, right?" he asked, baffled at the House’s reluctance given the GOP’s dominance.

Perez, meanwhile, claims DeSantis hasn’t actually offered a plan or explanation for his property tax proposal, but says the House is ready to debate if the governor brings something concrete. He also accused DeSantis of taking credit for other states’ policy wins and holding "empty press conferences." Ouch.

With DeSantis term-limited and unable to run in 2026, the state’s political future is up for grabs. Trump has already endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds for governor, and DeSantis says he’ll be "involved" in the race, though he’s not ready to make an endorsement just yet.

One thing’s clear: for all their dominance, Florida Republicans are showing the world that even a supermajority can’t guarantee family harmony. The only thing missing is popcorn for the rest of us watching this saga unfold.