Rick Scott might be a current United States Senator from Florida and the former Florida governor, but he’s not siding with current Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP primary fight for the presidential candidacy. Instead, former Governor and current Senator Scott endorsed President Donald Trump for 2024.
Scott did so in an op-ed for Newsweek, first recounting all the ways that America has gotten worse under President Joe Biden and then getting into why he is backing Donald Trump from the GOP race over the other candidates, along with what he thinks the GOP should do.
Scott wrote, “An open border with terrorists, criminals, and drugs pouring into our country. A botched withdrawal from Afghanistan that stranded thousands of Americans and our allies behind enemy lines, left billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. military equipment in the hands of terrorists, and took the lives of 13 heroic U.S. service members. A military that is more focused on pronouns than lethality. The complete destruction of women’s sports. People getting paid not to go to work. Crime rampant in major U.S. cities and people who break laws no longer being held accountable. A nation where criminals have more rights than victims. Appeasement of Xi Jinping and murderous dictators eroding freedom, democracy, and stability around the world. And now, Israel is under attack and at war after Joe Biden reduced oil sanctions and unfroze $6 billion for the Iranian regime. Israelis and Americans have been tortured and killed and are still being held hostage at the hands of Iran-financed terrorists.”
But then, after describing how dark these days are, he said that they can get better with the right man in charge, with Trump being that right man. He wrote, “I am optimistic that we can return America to its rightful position of economic and military strength and the undisputed moral leader of the free world, but only with strong leadership in the White House. That is why I support my friend President Donald J. Trump to be the 47th president of the United States and encourage every Republican to unite behind his efforts to win back the White House.”
And, describing what the rest of the GOP needs to do, Sen. Scott called for unity, writing, “It’s time for the Republican Party to come together, behind one candidate, and declare with one voice that we are united in our efforts to defeat Joe Biden and rescue America.”
Trump, responding to Sen. Scott’s glowing endorsement of him, posted, “A great honor to have received such a powerful Endorsement from Senator Rick Scott of Florida. Rick is tough and smart, and he knows what America needs, especially in these troubled (By Biden!) times. Thank you Rick! DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Adding some context to Sen. Scott’s endorsement, he and Trump are said to have a quite good relationship, if not one that is as close as Trump’s relationship with some other, better-known political figures. Further, Sen. Scott and Gov. DeSantis are said to have a very “strained” relationship.
Further, Trump has continued rising and rising in the polls, both against the Republican challengers and President Joe Biden, whereas Gov. DeSantis has seen his early number continue to fall and fall.
Featured image credit: By Donald J. Trump – https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1126325461217202176, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78993005
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