Gubernatorial hopeful Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) took a rare position countering President Donald Trump by disagreeing with him on artificial intelligence policy.
Donalds secured his top spot in Republican polling after scoring an early coveted endorsement from the president. As such, he’s been cautious not to cross Trump on any major issues, but broke ranks for one that has faced more Republican backlash than usual: AI.
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When asked by Politico if there were any areas in which he and Trump took different positions, he pointed to AI policy. He clarified that the divergence was a “slight disagreement” — whereas the president wants a national regulatory approach, Donalds believes “the states do need to lead.”
“I understand what the president wants to accomplish, I really do,” Donalds said. “But being on Capitol Hill, man, it’s so difficult getting good policy through that place, especially with the United States Senate. They can’t even pass the SAVE America Act.”
Florida, in his view, is properly suited to enforce its own regulations over AI, as the state has a “standard when it comes to business regulation that is common sense.” Some of the possible state regulations he pointed to were minor protection, a greater say for parents, and the ability of people to protect their name, image, and likeness.
When asked further, Donalds voiced some sympathy with Trump’s position, speculating that his concerns were most likely centered around California.
“We already know what California does,” he said. “They’re stupid. They don’t even know how to do this stuff right. We don’t want to see New York leading the way. I mean, Kathy Hochul didn’t even know that the Chicago Bulls won the NBA title in 1993. So, you don’t get a say on economic policy on something this large. We want to make sure it’s being done with common sense, and Florida should lead the way.”
He pointed to states such as his own, Tennessee, and Texas, as possible leaders in AI regulation.
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Trump has been against state AI regulation over fears that the contradictory interstate regulatory framework could hamstring AI innovation and allow China to get the upper hand. In recent months, China has continued to narrow the gap with the U.S. in AI development.
Trump’s Big Tech backers, who coalesced behind him in the 2024 elections, continue to wield influence within the White House on AI and tech policy.
