President Donald Trump’s latest executive order on artificial intelligence (AI) has opened up fresh fault lines within the Republican Party, pitting advocates of a centralized federal framework against conservatives who argue that states must retain the power to regulate one of the most transformative technologies of the modern era.
On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order aimed at establishing a national approach to AI regulation, seeking to curb what the administration has described as a growing patchwork of state-level laws that could stifle innovation and weaken US competitiveness—particularly against China. While the move has drawn strong backing from pro-business Republicans and major technology firms, it has also sparked fierce resistance from influential conservatives, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, once a rival to Trump within the party.
“You’ve got a whole cadre of senators and MAGA influencers that have staked out a position on AI that is not consistent with what the president signed yesterday,” said a Republican lobbyist tracking the issue closely.
A Party Split Between Big Tech and the Base
At the heart of the dispute lies a familiar Republican tension: federal uniformity versus states’ rights, compounded by growing distrust of Big Tech among the party’s populist base. Large AI companies argue that complying with dozens of different state regulations—especially in an industry still rapidly evolving—would be impractical and costly. California, in particular, has emerged as a regulatory trailblazer, prompting strong pushback from industry leaders.
Trump’s order seeks to blunt these state efforts, calling out “onerous” AI laws and directing federal agencies to challenge them. “You have to have a central source of approval,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “They can’t go to California, New York and various other places… There’s only going to be one winner here, and that’s probably going to be the U.S. or China.”
Yet this approach has alarmed Republicans who see federal preemption as an erosion of constitutional principles and a giveaway to powerful technology firms.
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, one of the most prominent voices of the MAGA movement, launched a blistering attack on the executive order. “After two humiliating face plants on must-pass legislation, now we attempt an entirely unenforceable EO,” Bannon wrote on Gettr. “Tech bros doing upmost to turn POTUS MAGA base away from him while they line their pockets.”
Failed Legislative Attempts
The executive order follows two failed Republican attempts over the past six months to legislatively block state AI laws—first through Trump’s tax and spending bill over the summer, and later via the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Both efforts collapsed amid GOP infighting, highlighting the depth of disagreement within the party.
“For people like Bannon and others, it’s about the displacement of the working class,” the Republican lobbyist said, noting fears that AI could accelerate job losses while enriching tech elites.
A GOP strategist described the divide as “a combo of federalism and very deep, embedded concerns by a lot of our base and activists against Big Tech.” “Jobs are at stake, privacy is at stake, our battle against China is at stake,” the strategist added. “It’s fascinating to see the politics influencing how we figure that all out.”
DeSantis Pushes Back
Governor Ron DeSantis has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the administration’s preemption push. As lawmakers debated adding AI language to the NDAA, DeSantis warned that limiting state authority would amount to “a subsidy to Big Tech.”
“The rise of AI is the most significant economic and cultural shift occurring at the moment,” DeSantis wrote on X. “Denying the people the ability to channel these technologies in a productive way via self-government constitutes federal government overreach and lets technology companies run wild.”
He has also questioned the legal durability of Trump’s order, arguing it cannot override state powers protected under the 10th Amendment. Last week, DeSantis unveiled a proposal for a “Citizen Bill of Rights for Artificial Intelligence”, aimed at safeguarding consumers—particularly children—from risks such as deepfakes and misuse of AI.
A source familiar with DeSantis’s thinking said the governor’s plan is not inherently at odds with Trump’s objectives. “What the governor is proposing is consumer protections for people and children around AI use,” the source said. “It’s not stifling innovation; it’s protecting people from being harmed.”
Trump Allies Close Ranks
Despite the pushback, Trump’s order has found strong allies in Washington. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) stood beside the president in the Oval Office during the signing, signaling his alignment with the White House. “He went full tech bro,” the Republican lobbyist quipped, underscoring Cruz’s embrace of a national framework favored by industry leaders.
The executive order closely resembles a draft circulated last month, directing agencies to form a task force to challenge state AI laws and consider withholding broadband funding from states with regulations deemed overly burdensome. Notably, the final version added language clarifying that a future federal framework “shall not propose preempting otherwise lawful” state measures related to children’s safety, AI infrastructure, or state procurement—a concession seemingly designed to ease internal Republican concerns.
Implications for the GOP’s Future
Analysts say the AI debate may offer a glimpse into the Republican Party’s post-Trump trajectory. “Republicans have generally been deferential to President Trump,” said Andrew Lokay, senior research analyst at Beacon Policy Advisors. “But state-level Republicans, who have more distance from Washington and more to lose from federal preemption, may be more willing to speak out.”
The contrasting stances of figures like Cruz and DeSantis have fueled speculation about the GOP’s future leadership. “To see Cruz on one hand and DeSantis on the other paints an interesting picture,” the GOP strategist said. “These are two potential figures who could be vying for the party’s nomination in a few years.”
As artificial intelligence reshapes economies, labor markets, and national security, the Republican divide over how—and who—should regulate it appears set to deepen, testing the balance between innovation, federal authority, and conservative principles.
