Rick Scott Endorses Donald Trump over Ron DeSantis: Time for the Republican Party to ‘Come Together’

Election 2018 Trump
AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

It is time for the Republican Party to “come together” and coalesce behind former President Donald Trump, Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said in a shining endorsement Thursday.

Scott clarified in an op-ed that he respects all the Republicans who chose to run in the Republican primary race, assessing that “every single one of them would be a better president than Joe Biden.” He briefly laid out the sad state of affairs under Biden’s leadership — an open border, drugs pouring into the country, the destruction of women’s sports, a general lack of law and order, the appeasement of world dictators, and Israel under attack.

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Nevertheless, Scott remains optimistic that America can “return” to what he described as 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,” Scott wrote, calling for GOP unity.

“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,” he wrote, contending that Republican voters have already made their voices “loud and clear”: “They want to return to the leadership of Donald Trump.”

Scott continued, noting that America was “safer and more prosperous when he led our nation,” pointing to a booming economy and stronger standing in the world, particularly against China.

The Florida senator also noted that Trump did “more for Israel than any other president in our history, bringing stability and peace in the Middle East though [sic] the Abraham Accords, while Joe Biden is undoing all the work [Trump’s] administration accomplished.”

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Further, Scott said he has personally worked with Trump throughout his political career as a governor and senator and said the two accomplished “a lot.” And yet, he said, there is still more to be done, particularly after four years of Biden.

While Scott said he is not calling for other candidates to drop out of the race, he is supporting Trump “because the stakes are too high.”

“The future of our country depends on our ability to come together and throw Joe Biden and these radical Democrats, who are intent on destroying our country, out of office,” he continued, expressing the belief that Trump is someone who can win the primary and general and, ultimately, has the strength to bring America back.

Scott’s endorsement comes as Trump continues to dominate in his status as the Republican frontrunner, besting his GOP challengers by double digits both nationwide and statewide. The latest South Carolina poll, for instance, shows Trump leading his challengers by 31 points, with 53 percent of the vote in the early primary state.

It is not often that Scott offers an endorsement in races, at least this early in the game. In 2016, for instance, Scott did not openly endorse Trump until after Florida’s primary race. However, he is said to have a good relationship with the Republican frontrunner and a “strained” relationship with his gubernatorial successor, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).

Earlier this year, DeSantis rejected Scott’s plea for leaders to send back unused coronavirus relief funds, contending that the unused funds would be reallocated to blue states rather than be used to pay down the national debt.

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