In a rare break with President Donald Trump, several top Florida Republicans are pushing back hard against new offshore drilling proposals that would open parts of the Gulf to energy exploration.
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) fired the first shot, warning that expanding drilling off Florida’s coast would put the state’s economy at unacceptable risk.
“Rolling back the 2020 moratorium would be wrong; one oil spill could devastate our economy,” Buchanan wrote on X, noting that Florida’s coastline has long been protected from drilling.
Buchanan pointed to staggering economic numbers: Florida’s beaches generate more than $127 billion a year in tourism spending and support more than 2 million jobs. A disaster on the scale of the Deepwater Horizon blowout, he argued, would cripple the state for years.
More Florida Republicans Break Ranks
Buchanan isn’t the only GOP figure sounding the alarm.
Florida Sen. Ashley Moody (R) warned that the Trump administration’s new offshore drilling maps—released by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum—are “HIGHLY concerning” and could put Florida’s natural beauty and tourism-dependent communities at risk.
“Preserving our state’s natural beauty is deeply important to the millions who call the Sunshine State home,” Moody wrote, adding that her office will “engage directly” with the administration to block any drilling near Florida’s shores.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has also put distance between himself and Trump on this issue. His office reminded the public that it was Trump himself who blocked drilling in 2020, issuing a presidential memorandum extending drilling protections until 2032.
“Our administration supports the 2020 Presidential Memorandum and urges the Department of Interior to conform to the 2020 Trump policy,” DeSantis’ spokesperson told The Hill.
Clash With Trump’s New Energy Strategy
The pushback comes as Trump seeks to launch the largest U.S. offshore drilling expansion in decades, including new sites in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of California—moves that would undo the protections he put in place during his first term.
Trump’s allies argue expanded drilling is essential for American energy dominance. But the Florida Republican establishment is making clear they won’t accept drilling that threatens the state’s coastlines.
Democrats Join the Fight
Democrats, meanwhile, have eagerly seized on the GOP split.
Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) blasted Trump’s proposal, accusing the administration of “selling out Florida” to oil interests.
“Drilling off the coast of Florida is way too risky,” Castor said. “This is a slap in the face after the damage done by the BP Deepwater Horizon blowout.”
What Comes Next
With Republicans and Democrats aligned against offshore drilling, Florida could become a major political flashpoint in Trump’s new energy strategy — and a rare moment where Sunshine State leaders attempt to force a course correction from the White House.
