Five Republican legislators in Florida have made a surprising move by shifting their endorsements from right-wing governor to former US president just before a crucial party nomination debate in Miami next week.
Related: DeSantis plays at being president with his own Israel-Hamas foreign policy
This move provides another boost to Trump, who continues to dominate the 2024 Republican race, and deals a blow to DeSantis, whose highly anticipated bid for the White House has recently faced significant obstacles. Recent polls consistently show Trump leading by a wide margin, with DeSantis losing ground to former US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, for the second-place spot.
The defection of the five legislators from DeSantis to Trump, adding to a total of seven new Trump endorsements in Florida, was first reported by the Messenger on Saturday. DeSantis’s national favorability ratings have been on a decline throughout 2023, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Four Republican candidates, including DeSantis, have qualified for the upcoming third Republican TV debate in Miami on Wednesday. However, while DeSantis will be present, Trump, who is currently leading the race, has chosen to skip the debate and instead plans to hold a rally in the state on the same day. Trump’s campaign, which currently holds a frontrunning position, has called for the cancellation of all future debates in order to redirect resources towards defeating Democrats in the upcoming election.
Joe Biden’s re-election campaign intends to capitalize on the debate by engaging in counter-programming, including the placement of billboards around Trump’s Hialeah event, highlighting the “Florida blueprint brought to you by Maga Republicans”.
At the “freedom summit” held by Florida Republicans on Saturday, Trump revealed his seven endorsements, following Senator Rick Scott’s decision to support Trump on Thursday, and Florida representative Randy Fine’s switch from DeSantis to Trump ten days prior.
Currently, the Florida governor has secured 93 endorsements from Florida legislators, a decrease from the 99 endorsements he had in May. According to the Messenger, some legislators are maintaining their support for DeSantis solely because they fear the vetoing of their bills or hometown spending projects.
The legislators who have shifted their support to Trump include state congresswoman Jessica Baker, who stated that her constituents expressed concerns about global instability and economic insecurity, prompting them to support “Trump back in the White House and Gov Ron DeSantis back on the job here in Florida”. Florida state senator Debbie Mayfield, another defector, stated that it is “time to unite our party” behind Trump.
During the freedom summit, Republican party activists enthusiastically applauded any mention of Trump and vehemently booed any criticisms directed towards him. However, when former New Jersey governor Chris Christie voiced his belief that Trump, with his four pending indictments, is not the right choice for the country or the party, he was met with boos from the crowd, who shouted, “Go back to New Jersey!” Nevertheless, Christie remained resolute, admonishing his fellow Republicans for their refusal to accept the truth.
In his speech, DeSantis did not mention Trump. Offstage, the conservative governor downplayed the defections and demonstrations of support for his rival.
“This kind of thing happens in politics,” he told reporters. “We’ve seen shifts in the opposite direction in other states. It’s a fluid situation, and politicians make their choices.”
Experts believe that DeSantis’s chances of winning the White House are now in serious jeopardy.
“Weakening DeSantis’s standing in Florida is a clear objective of the Trump campaign,” stated Alex Conant, a Republican strategist, in an interview with the Associated Press. “DeSantis’s entire message is built on the idea that he is an exceptional governor. When Republican officials in Florida choose Trump over DeSantis, it significantly undermines the foundation of DeSantis’s campaign.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
