Trump's Pick for Florida Governor Byron Donalds Breaks With Him on AI as State Sues OpenAI
Donalds says states, rather than only the federal government, should lead in setting AI rules.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYLatin Times is an established news publisher, and this report attributes outside reporting and statements to named sources. The article gives limited detail about its own reporting and relies in part on other outlets for information.
- Source type — A national news publisher, supporting a moderate-to-good institutional rating.
- Transparency — It attributes reporting to the Miami Herald and NBC and includes a statement from OpenAI.
- Author attribution — The article names an author.
- Editorial standards — The text does not provide enough information to assess corrections practices or detailed editorial standards.
The report gives Donalds’s stated rationale, describes the lawsuit’s allegations, and includes OpenAI’s response. Some details rely on other outlets, and the article offers limited additional context about the lawsuit or the competing AI regulatory approaches.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article includes both Donalds’s and Trump’s contrasting approaches and presents Florida’s allegations alongside OpenAI’s denial. It provides less detail on the broader arguments for and against state regulation.
- Counterarguments presented — OpenAI’s denial and description of its safeguards appear alongside Florida’s allegations.
- Source diversity — The story includes comments from public officials and a statement from the company being sued.
- Omitted context — The wider policy debate and the lawsuit’s procedural status receive limited treatment.
The report describes the competing federal and state approaches without endorsing either one. It presents allegations against OpenAI alongside the company’s response.
- Language tone — Mostly factual wording, with claims attributed to their speakers or the lawsuit.
- Source selection — Includes statements from Donalds, Trump’s executive order, Florida’s attorney general, and OpenAI.
- Framing — Frames the story as a disagreement over AI regulation and a related state lawsuit.
Rep. Byron Donalds said states should lead in regulating AI, breaking with President Trump’s preference for a national framework. The comments came as Florida sued OpenAI over alleged safety failures; the company disputed the allegations.
Byron Donalds, a Republican candidate for Florida governor, said states should take the lead in setting AI rules because Congress moves too slowly. That position differs from President Trump’s push for a national framework limiting state-by-state regulation. Trump’s December executive order warned that excessive state regulation could hinder U.S. competitiveness.
On the same day, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit accusing OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman of concealing safety risks and putting children at risk. The lawsuit alleges harms involving self-harm, violence, crime planning, minors’ data, and emotional dependency. OpenAI denied that ChatGPT is designed to encourage harm and said it works to strengthen safeguards.
Community verdict
22 VOTESPeople in this story
SWIPE →Florida representative and Republican candidate for governor advocating state-led AI regulation
President whose national AI framework contrasts with Donalds’s position
Florida governor whose state-centered approach to AI is mentioned for comparison
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