Posted on 04/19/2023 8:23:15 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
Former President Donald Trump nabbed another key endorsement from Florida as state defections against his main rival, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), pile up.
Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) endorsed Trump on Monday evening, contending that the former president is the only one who can rectify the "disastrous policies of the Biden administration." Trump, a Florida resident, has clinched roughly half a dozen endorsements from Florida's congressional delegation.
SEN. MARSHA BLACKBURN JOINS WAVE OF TENNESSEE ENDORSING TRUMP
"Today I continue my unwavering support for the America First movement by endorsing the leader of our party, President Donald Trump for re-election to President of the United States!" Steube tweeted along with a clip of a Newsmax interview in which he announced his decision.
Others from the Sunshine State delegation who have backed Trump include Reps. Byron Donalds (R), Matt Gaetz (R), Anna Paulina Luna (R), and Cory Mills (R). Overall, Trump has almost four dozen endorsements from sitting members of both chambers of Congress.
DeSantis has two so far, Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Chip Roy (R-TX), neither of whom come from Florida.
“We need to right all the wrongs that have happened under this administration, fix the things that happen in Afghanistan, support our military and our veterans, and do the things that the American first agenda stands for, and that is one person, Donald Trump,” Steube said.
As he gears up for a likely 2024 run, DeSantis's team has contacted at least six members of Florida's congressional team, hoping to keep them from endorsing Trump, sources told NBC.
Trump recently enjoyed a wave of congressional Republican endorsements, with Reps. John Rose (R-TN) and Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), as well as Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN), backing him in recent days.
The Tennessee spate came ahead of the Trump campaign's announced leadership team for the Volunteer State, which featured some of those who endorsed him. It also followed the Republican National Committee donor retreat in Nashville over the weekend.
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DeSantis has yet to jump into the 2024 political arena but has consistently polled as Trump's chief primary threat. He is expected to make his 2024 intentions known sometime after the Florid state legislature wraps up its business in May.
The Florida governor is slated to participate in a meet-and-greet with Republican members of Congress in Washington, D.C., Tuesday as he crisscrosses the country to build up support ahead of his expected campaign.
doesn’t matter, what matters is what happens in the kangaroo court in NYC. I don’t think he can run if convicted, that’s why they did it.
DeSantis/Trump is NOT a competition, in that Ron DeSantis is not actually running for the Presidency, at least, not in 2024. It is true, that Trump has, as is his wont, been especially harsh in trying to tamp down the least degree of actual rivalry, with a show of bluff and bluster, with perhaps a little hyperbole thrown in. That is just Trump being Trump, it is part and indivisible from his character traits. Admittedly, not pretty, but deeply ingrained.
Be can most certainly run.
Sure. DeSantis is in DC today, not running.
Amazing. They are just filled with hatred for what he stands for.
What's amazing is how many here don't stand up for him with all the BS from the left being hurled at him 24/7 for so many years.
Trump took money from Disney and Anheuser-Busch and now wants more, so he defends both companies.
Trump is bought and paid for by big donors.
If nothing else, DeSantis took Disney money and turned on them knowing he will not get any more in the future.
One is a grifter, the other is principled.
Prove me wrong.
With Trump so far ahead in the polls, the other politicians feel compelled to endorse him knowing:
1. If they don’t endorse Trump now and he wins, he will go after them.
2. Even if they endorse Trump and - for whatever reason- Trump fades, DeSantis will not hold it against them and they will flip.
Assuming DeSantis runs (I think he wants to but will have to make calculated decision in next couple of months), he still has time and the first few states will tell. There is a lot of overt love for Trump, but given a good alternative, it is hard to predict who Repubs will vote for in the primaries.
Just too early and there is too much chaos swirling around Trump to count DeSantis in or out at this juncture. Absent something truly seismic, don’t see anyone else besides these two having a chance to be in play.
Trump lost the presidency. He lost the election. We need a winner.
What bull s**t.
Breaking news: An amusement park and beer company are NOT big issues to most Americans.
Some suspect DeSantis is a mole or sleeper Rino?.
Aside from your big mouth, you did not prove my FACTS wrong. Trump took money from Disney and Anheuser-Busch. Now he defends them because culture is not important to Trump.
Why don't you admit that instead of being an obtuse jerk?
Disney and Anheuser-Busch are globalist corporations. Your attempt to "minimize" them as an amusement park and beer company is deceitful.
But you need to be deceitful to support Trump at this point.
If DeSantis is a mole or sleeper, then I want more moles and sleepers who restrict abortion, sign concealed carry without permit, protect children from groomers, restore election integrity, have fiscal sanity and oppose his own donors who side with the woke, groomer agenda.
DeSantis should endorse Trump. If he did, he could waltz to the 2028 nomination.
The race is pretty much over already. DeSantis needs to come to his senses and pull the plug before he does serious damage to his long term prospects.
Trump took money from a beer company and amusement park! Oh my God!
My big issue is not WWIII, 50 years of violent open border, in debt 30 trillion, economic disaster in every direction...It's beer and amusement parks...lol
Trump did not secure the border.
Almost 25% of that debt was created by Trump.
Trump let the economy be destroyed by siding with Fauci
It is clear you do not care about those things either.
Poor Erik, you blame Trump for everything..Just like the media screw worms.
You should get a job on the View. You’d fit right in.
Erik the Trany...love it.
All isn’t what it seems at times be careful.
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