Florida Republican Rep. Randy Fine has a blunt message for his party as it prepares for a Democratic majority in January: stop worrying about compromise and start fighting. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Fine argued that Democrats will likely choose what he called political persecution over policy, and that Republicans need to be ready to push back.
"That's the choice they have to make ... persecution or policy," Fine said, according to Fox News Digital. The Florida congressman, who expanded his victory margin to 19 points even as Republicans lost control of the chamber, predicted Democrats will focus on going after President Trump and his allies rather than addressing voters' problems.
Fine's comments come as House Republicans shift from passing bills to playing defense after electing Rep. Jim Jordan to succeed outgoing Speaker Mike Johnson as minority leader. Fine threw his support behind Jordan, citing his record defending Trump during the first term's impeachments and his ability to communicate.
"Jim Jordan has two unique qualifications for the job," Fine said. "One, he's our best fighter. He protected and fought for President Trump during the ridiculous impeachments of President Trump's first term. He's just somebody who knows how to go into the arena and fight back. But the second thing is he's an extraordinary communicator. And over the next two years, we are in a very diminished minority. That's going to be our greatest strength is to point out why the Democratic policies won't actually improve anyone's lives, and to point out the policies that we would propose that will."
Fine rejected the idea that Republicans need to change their policies or messaging after the midterm losses. "I don't know that we need to change our policies. And I don't even know how much of our messaging we need to change," he said. "What we need to do is we need to fight. I believe that we lost the election because voters thought we didn't care about their problems, because they didn't see us fighting to solve them. Voters will vote for you if they see you fighting, even if you fail. But they won't vote for you if they don't see you fighting."
Fine pointed to his own results as evidence. "I may be the only Republican in the country to do that. I won my last election by 14. I won this one by 19," he said, according to Fox News Digital.
The congressman also signaled a willingness to compromise, but only under the right conditions.
The broader political environment has been tough for Republicans. According to reporting from other outlets, Republican gerrymandering efforts in Texas and Florida worked relatively well, but backfired in North Carolina and Ohio, where Democratic waves overcame Trump-won seats. Democrats also responded with a successful redistricting effort in California. The result is a steep Democratic majority in January, putting Republicans in a diminished minority.
Fine's prescription is simple: give Jordan the minority gavel and let him fight. "As a fighter and a communicator, I think he's very well positioned to lead us for the next two years," Fine said.
House Republicans will have to navigate a Democratic majority that Fine expects to prioritize investigations and hearings over legislation. Whether that prediction holds will shape the next two years of Congress.
Our Take
Fine is telling the truth that most Republicans in Washington won't say out loud: Democrats don't want to solve problems. They want to punish their opponents. The incoming majority has spent years promising investigations, subpoenas, and show trials, not solutions for working families. Fine sees it coming and wants Republicans to stop pretending otherwise.
His argument about fighting is the right one. Voters may not always agree with Republicans, but they respect leaders who go to the mat for them. The GOP lost the midterms because too many lawmakers seemed content to pass bills and go home, not because conservative policies failed. Fine's 19-point win in a tough year proves that fighting works.
But Republicans should also heed Fine's caveat: compromise is fine when it's the right thing to do. The American people want results, not endless gridlock. If Democrats choose persecution, Republicans should expose it. If they choose policy, Republicans should be ready to deal. That's the choice Democrats have to make, and the country will be watching.
