Trump's dysfunctional government can learn from these Republican governors | Opinion
You might not have noticed, but there are Republicans doing the job of governing. They're just not in the federal government.
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are struggling to do their jobs because they are losing focus on what they were elected to do. They are creating political sideshows and distractions from the issues that truly matter to Americans, and the issues that voters wanted Trump to fix.
Instead of fixing the economy, for example, Trump is locked in a social media battle with Elon Musk. Why?
Republicans in control of the federal government should take a note from popular GOP governors who are delivering on what voters actually want without all of the noise that is engulfing the presidency and Congress.
Republican governors succeed in spite of Trump
Trump has made progress on securing the border, despite his deportation struggles, but the economy is where he struggles. His unpredictable and ill-advised tariff policy has investors worried, and his administration is pushing a bill that would raise the country's deficit.
The old adage “it's the economy, stupid” rings true even today. If Trump cannot handle the basics of the job, then Americans are unlikely to give him leeway on other issues.
In contrast, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is more popular than Trump in the Sunshine State and is overseeing a strong economic run while presiding over a strong public school system. Florida's job growth is outpacing the national average.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is another example. He enjoys extraordinarily high approval ratings, even though Trump had a narrow victory in the state in 2024. He’s done so on the back of good job creation marks and, again, a strong public school system.
These are two Republican governors doing the job we need the federal GOP to do, instead of the bickering we're seeing unfold on social media.
This isn't to say that either of those two governors don't take swings in the culture war. DeSantis is probably best known for his actions against Disney and other social debates. Kemp also has a history of fighting "woke" and dabbling in the culture wars. But in surrounding themselves with competent allies and running the government well, voters give them a longer leash.
Trump should follow DeSantis, Kemp's lead: Focus on what voters need
The lesson here for Trump is to take care of the basic issues that impact voters, then he can get bogged down in his culture war stances. Both Kemp and DeSantis have gotten away with their antics because they are competent executives.
In state governments, this includes going to the DMV, the quality of public schools and paying taxes. If these types of experiences are painless, people have a more positive view of the government.
Federally, this is reflected in the economy, as people’s daily lives are most significantly impacted by the state of the economy. Culture war issues matter at the margins, but people broadly vote based on the economy. Because Trump is struggling with the economy, his actions in other areas are a glaring distraction.
He could stand to ask governors like DeSantis and Kemp about how to lead along conservative principles without all the mess and failure.
Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for Paste BN and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.