I spoke with the president today, and I told him I am working on this and we want to be helpful and he was basically, ‘I want as strong as possible, as strong as possible,’” DeSantis told supporters in the call.

Republicans in Tallahassee rejected a DeSantis proposal, instead coming up with their own immigration plan to match President Donald Trump’s orders.

In a special session on Monday, leaders seemed to be declaring their independence from a governor who has wielded so much power that legislative sessions have become largely predictable rubber stamps.