Donald Trump backs Gov. DeSantis Special Session call after skepticism from Tallahassee Republicans

Ron DeSantis has a quick response to Donald Trump's taunts. Image via AP.

President-elect Donald Trump is weighing in on the debate regarding a Special Session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis, slated to start on Jan. 27.

“Thank you Ron, hopefully other Governors will follow,” Trump posted to Truth Social as he backed the call.

DeSantis explained his reasoning for a Special Session on social media, saying “officials in Florida will actively facilitate the Trump Administration’s policies against illegal immigration, and to do that we need to immediately set aside and approve the necessary funding and resources now.”

“As part of the special session I called for January 27, the week after President Trump is sworn in, I am calling on the legislature to appropriate funding for detention, relocation, transportation infrastructure, local law enforcement support, and everything else needed for Florida to carry out this mission,” he added.

But later on Monday, Senate President Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez joined in a memo questioning the timing and logistics of the Special Session call.

“Florida’s Constitution compels our attendance at a Special Session unilaterally called by the Governor. However, the power to convene a Special Session also resides with the presiding officers. As the people’s elected representatives, the Legislature, not the Governor, will decide when and what legislation we consider,” the leaders said in a joint statement.

During a press conference Monday, DeSantis said he wants to crack down on illegal immigration, eliminate a loophole giving undocumented immigrants in-state tuition, tighten up petitions for constitutional amendments and hone in on condo safety regulations and escalating costs related to them.

The leadership said those were “fragments of ideas for a Special Session he plans to start in just fourteen days” and lacked “any actual bill language or even meaningful details for legislators and our constituents to consider.”

They added that “when it comes to immigration we are strong supporters of President Trump and stand ready to follow his lead,” but are “not aware of any specific guidance provided to the states about actions state legislatures can take to support forthcoming federal action.”

That said, there seemed to be room for amelioration, given their statement that when they get “specific guidance that may necessitate our state’s legislative action to complement President Trump’s efforts,” they “stand ready to act at the appropriate time.”

Sen. Randy Fine, a frequent critic of DeSantis, also raised questions about the mechanics of the Special Session, saying his colleagues had not gotten a specific proclamation.

The Governor’s Office offered a cure Tuesday morning, retroactively framing Monday’s call for the Special Session.

“Yesterday, Governor Ron DeSantis issued the below proclamation, calling for a special session of the Florida Legislature to convene on January 27th, 2025, and to address the following issues: combatting illegal immigration, condominium regulation, agricultural relief in response to natural disasters, replenishing the My Safe Florida Home program, and the citizens’ initiative petition process,” said spokesman Bryan Griffin.

Fine was unmollified, painting the “motivation” as “click bait, not policy.”

“Setting aside the fact that other than the bill that I had filed for the regular session, no actual legislation was put forth that would be considered at that session, putting the call on x — and not sending it to the folks who it actually is supposed to be for — makes the entire thing appear to be even more performative,” said Fine, who urged the consideration of a bill that would remove in-state tuition breaks for undocumented immigrants.