TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Sen. Rick Scott says although his state’s governor is working for president, backing Donald Trump for the Republican nomination once more was a no brainer for him.
“I’ve identified Trump a very long time earlier than… I endorsed him in 2016, and I labored effectively with him after I was governor (of Florida) and within the Senate,” Scott instructed NBC Information, in his first interview after his endorsement on Thursday. Trump, who was the primary mentioned By the Messenger. “If you take a look at what’s taking place on the planet as we speak, this would not occur if he have been president.”
He added: “I believe we should always all come collectively and do every part we will to assist him win the nomination so we will beat Biden.”
Scott helps Trump within the race that features his successor as Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, however there was stress between the 2 previously, and Scott has been a long-time political ally of Trump.
In 2016, Scott was among the many first Republican governors to endorse Trump, and he ran a pro-Trump political motion committee that yr as effectively. Moreover, the 2 labored intently in the course of the 2022 midterm elections, when Scott was chairman of the Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee.
Scott mentioned he had not spoken to DeSantis since August, and the subject after that had nothing to do with politics. They talked about Hurricane Idalia that hit Florida
“He by no means talked to me in regards to the endorsement,” Scott mentioned.
In an announcement, Andrew Romeo, DeSantis’ communications director, praised assist for DeSantis from different officers in Florida in addition to in states holding early voting.
“Ron DeSantis has extra endorsements from state legislators than the previous president in Iowa (41), New Hampshire (62), and South Carolina (16),” Romeo mentioned within the assertion. Officers as a result of he labored with them to realize historic outcomes for the conservative motion. The governor will win his residence state as a result of Floridians need to see a fighter who brings the identical sort of results-oriented management to Washington that he supplied within the Sunshine State.
Scott has been assembly with native Republican govt committees throughout Florida, and mentioned the suggestions he is acquired from grassroots members of the occasion is that they need DeSantis to remain within the governor’s mansion.
“In DeSantis’ case, I do know he works laborious for Florida. “I have been doing quite a lot of these (Republican Govt Committee) occasions and quite a lot of them simply need him to come back residence and be governor,” Scott mentioned. “They only elected him they usually assist him.”
Scott’s endorsement comes earlier than every week targeted closely on Florida for the Trump marketing campaign, as his rivals put together to debate in Miami on November 8.
Trump is the keynote speaker on the Presidential Discussion board in Orlando hosted by the Florida Republican Occasion, an occasion at which DeSantis was given an opportunity to talk within the mid-afternoon by his state’s Republican Occasion. Moreover, Trump is anticipated to endorse extra Republicans in Florida, host occasion leaders at a reception at Mar-a-Lago, and maintain a rally in South Florida on the identical day because the third GOP debate.
Scott mentioned “no” when requested if his endorsement was timed to coincide with these occasions. He mentioned he had been interested by it for some time, and a number of other issues, together with terrorist assaults in Israel, helped him resolve to announce his assist for Trump now.
“It isn’t like something occurred,” he mentioned. “It is sort of an additive.”
As a result of he’s up for re-election himself in 2024, Scott mentioned he’ll assist the Trump marketing campaign, however won’t be able to fundraise for the previous president as aggressively as he has previously.
“I supported Trump and I would like him to win and I’ll assist him, however I’ve two different jobs proper now,” Scott mentioned. “I’ve to do my job within the Senate, and we’ve quite a lot of issues there, and I’ve my race.”
Scott is the favourite in his major race in opposition to Republican Keith Gross, a comparatively unknown title in Florida politics — however he mentioned he might put as a lot as $30 million of his private cash into the race. Gross, then a Democrat, in 2008 started balloting for a Georgia Home seat after a choose felt “troubled” by Gross’ claims about his eligibility, NBC Information reported final week.
When requested in regards to the challenge, Scott targeted on his potential normal election opponent, and reviewed traces of assault he would possibly use in opposition to former Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who launched a Senate marketing campaign in August.
Scott known as her “radical socialism” and famous that teams aligned with Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer spent tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in 2018 making an attempt to defeat Scott, when he was working in opposition to then-Democratic Sen. Invoice Nelson.
Scott ended up profitable a relative handful of votes out of the hundreds of thousands solid, as DeSantis did in his personal race that yr.
