DeSantis Appoints New CFO, Igniting Tensions with Trump
Governor Ron DeSantis has named a new Chief Financial Officer for Florida, which could complicate relations with President Trump, who has already backed a candidate for the role in the upcoming election.
On Wednesday, DeSantis selected State Senator Blaise Ingoglia for the position, highlighting his conservative credentials and commitment to the values that Florida voters expect from their leaders.
“I want people that have conservative principles,” DeSantis articulated. “I want people that are dedicated to the mission, but I also want people that run into the fire, that run towards the battles.”
Ingoglia, 54, is a businessman and a strong ally of DeSantis, previously serving as the Chair of the Florida Republican Party from 2015 to 2019.
In his new role, he will manage the state’s finances, oversee the insurance industry, and take on responsibilities as Chief Fire Marshal.
Ingoglia has vowed to tackle spending aggressively, describing himself as a “conservative pitbull” ready to root out waste.
“With the audit authority at the CFO’s office, I promise you we are going to start digging in and we are going to start calling out some of this wasteful spending,” he asserted.
He will complete the term of former CFO Jimmy Patronis, who left the position to join Congress. Ingoglia is anticipated to compete against State Senator Joe Gruters in the election next year, a candidate backed by Trump.
DeSantis expressed his determination by stating, “If George Washington rose from the dead and came back and tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Will you appoint Joe Gruters CFO?’ my response would be no, I can’t do that without betraying the voters that elected me.”
He outlined his reasons for not supporting Gruters, emphasizing a commitment to record and principle. DeSantis accused Gruters of taking positions that contradict the desires of Floridians, including a vote against Second Amendment rights and legislation to hold teachers unions accountable.
“On immigration, he was the author, an architect, of this terrible amnesty bill that would have undermined everything I’ve done, including efforts linked to President Trump’s illegal immigration removal agenda,” DeSantis maintained.
The governor previously clashed with some GOP legislators over a bill sponsored by Gruters, which would have cut millions in funding for immigration enforcement—an effort opposed by DeSantis and supported by Ingoglia.
Gruters, having chaired the Florida Republican Party from 2019 to 2023, has enlisted Trump’s co-campaign manager, Chris Lacivita, along with the president’s leading pollster, Tony Fabrizio, as strategists for his campaign.
Fabrizio commented, “DeSantis learned the hard way that opposing Trump in statewide Republican contests is a recipe for disaster.”
In light of this political backdrop, the dynamics within Florida’s GOP are certainly worth watching.
