Governor Ron DeSantis celebrated a significant victory this week after Florida lawmakers greenlit a new congressional map. In a moment of levity, he humorously imitated House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and the impression quickly circulated online.
“We gon’ do MAXIMUM WARFARE against Republicans! Florida Republicans, you F around, you gonna find out!” he jested, poking fun at what he perceived as Jeffries’ threats toward Florida’s redistricting efforts.
Following that, DeSantis sent a clear message directed at national Democrats who are intent on pouring financial resources into Florida to challenge Republicans.
“He’s like, oh, if you do the redistricting, we’re going to take out all your members, we’re going to do all this stuff. And what I said was, go ahead, MAKE MY DAY.”
“You don’t think we’re going to, you want to come down here and spend money in Florida, roll the dice and take your chances.”
“But don’t think that you can come down here, issue threats to us, and somehow you’re going to make us FLINCH.”
“That is not happening, and in fact, it did not happen, because as soon as he came out and started doing that last week, Florida legislature turned around and they PASSED A NEW MAP.”
Early Wednesday, Florida Republicans advanced the map swiftly, marking a considerable triumph for DeSantis, which could potentially secure the GOP an additional four U.S. House seats as the 2026 midterms approach.
🚨 LMFAO!! Gov. Ron DeSantis just mocked the CRAP out of Hakeem Jeffries, doing an impression of Temu Obama’s failed threats to block Florida redistricting
“We gon’ do MAXIMUM WARFARE against Republicans! Florida Republicans, you F around, you gonna find out!” 😭
“He’s like,… pic.twitter.com/LmZf9t6yjJ
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 30, 2026
The state House approved the proposal with a vote of 83-28 following a rapid session lasting under 90 minutes. Notably, no Republican spoke in favor of debating the map on the floor.
In contrast, Democrats voiced their concerns loudly, with tempers escalating as the vote neared. Democratic Rep. Angie Nixon from Jacksonville, who is also campaigning for U.S. Senate, interrupted the discussions, claiming the proposal “was out of order.”
Meanwhile, the Florida Senate was gearing up to address the map later in the day, taking a short pause to review a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling from Louisiana. The ruling found that lawmakers there improperly considered race in the creation of a new majority-minority district, a development that Democrats argued should slow down Florida’s efforts.
House Democrats attempted to compel a delay, but their motion was dismissed via a voice vote.
DeSantis, who has maintained for months that any court intervention would necessitate a redraw, cited the Louisiana ruling as confirmation of his stance.
“Called this one month ago,” the governor shared on social media. “The decision implicates a district in FL, the legal infirmities of which have been corrected in the newly-drawn and soon to be enacted map.”
If the Senate concurs and DeSantis signs the bill, Florida will align with other states revising congressional lines midway through the decade. Republican-led states like Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri have enacted similar changes, while some Democrat-controlled areas such as California and Virginia are also pursuing map alterations.
Critics from the Democratic side have labeled Florida’s strategy as overtly political, referencing testimony from Jason Poreda, a staff member of DeSantis who was involved in crafting the map. Poreda admitted under oath that partisan data influenced the district designs, which Democrats argue is a violation of Florida’s Fair Districts Amendment, a measure approved by voters in 2010 to prohibit partisan gerrymandering.
“The man who drew this map testified under oath that he used partisan data to draw up every single district,” remarked House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell. “Every single one. And when the governor’s attorney was asked whether Democratic voters were being underrepresented in our congressional delegation, his answer was, ‘That this is a normative question.’
RELATED: NEW: Red State House Passes Redistricting Bill
“Members, if we vote yes on this bill, it’s not just that we’re being misled, we are blessing this mess. The timing tells the rest. The governor announces his intention to redistrict, shortly after the president of the United States asked Republican-led states to do exactly that. There is no neutral explanation for that sequence of events.”
Conversely, Republicans contended that the new map adheres to legal requirements and strategically positions Florida for the upcoming election cycle. The next phase involves Senate approval, followed by the governor’s endorsement, which would finalize the boundaries for November.
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