Florida Rep. Greg Steube Endorses Trump over DeSantis: ‘He’s the Only Person’ Who Can Reverse this Disaster

Representative Greg Steube, Republican of Florida, participates in the House Judiciary Com
JONATHAN ERNST/AFP via Getty Images
Hannah Knudsen

Florida Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) on Monday endorsed former President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid, serving as yet another blow to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s potential bid as not one member of the Florida congressional delegation has publicly backed the governor over Trump.

“I’m happy and honored to endorse Donald J. Trump for president in 2024,” the Florida congressman told Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt.

“He’s the only person that can reverse on day one, all these disastrous policies of the Biden administration,” Steube continued, noting that many of the things that occurred under the Biden administration would have never happened under President Trump.

“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 America First agenda stands for, and that is one person, Donald Trump,” Steube continued, noting that Trump is “widely supported in my district” and “widely supported in Florida.”

“I’m honored to add my endorsement to the long list of endorsements for President Trump,” he added.

WATCH:

Indeed, Steube joins a growing list of members of the Florida congressional delegation publicly backing Trump, despite the whispers of a potential 2024 bid for Gov. DeSantis. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) publicly endorsed Trump this month, serving as a massive blow to the governor, who is friends with Donalds and his wife. Notably, DeSantis appointed Erika Donalds to the Florida Gulf Coast University board of trustees last year.

Like Steube, Donalds made it clear in his statement that Trump and Trump alone is the man for the moment.

“There is only one leader at this time in our nation’s history who can seize this moment and deliver what we need — to get us back on track, provide strength and resolve, and Make America Great Again,” Donalds wrote.

“That is why I’m honored to endorse President Donald Trump for President in 2024, and I ask my fellow Americans to join me,” he added:

Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz (R) has also expressed public support for Trump, even calling on DeSantis to back Trump.

“Only Donald Trump could have rescued us from Hillary Clinton. Without Trump doing three rallies in the final week in the 2018 election in Florida, my governor today would probably be Andrew Gillum,” Gaetz said during a Trump rally in Waco, Texas.

“So Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz: patriots of the MAGA movement delivered for you in your time of need,” Gaetz continued. “Today, Ron DeSantis and Ted Cruz should endorse Donald Trump for president and stand with us as we were so proud to stand with them.”

While speaking to Eric Bolling at CPAC in March, Gaetz made it clear that he personally would like eight years of DeSantis at the helm in Florida and another four years of Trump leading the nation.

“If we do it right, we’ll get the best of both,” Gaetz added. “We’ll get four years of Donald Trump’s presidency in his second term. Then we may have Ron DeSantis’ presidency thereafter.”

Freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has also endorsed Trump but has taken a diplomatic approach as well, making it clear she loves both Trump and DeSantis.

“To be clear, I love them both. He’s my governor, and I’m going to support him every step of the way as governor,” she told Time.

“I think we need someone who will be aggressive on foreign policy—and that’s Trump. You know, this is politics, you’ve got to pick your sides,” she said, identifying Trump as “the person that we need right now for this country.”

And last week, Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) became yet another member of the Florida congressional delegation to back Trump in his 2024 presidential bid.

“We need to stop the infighting and come together and unify. And I think right now the person that we need to be unifying behind is President Trump,” he said, according to Time:

These incoming endorsements for Trump do not bode well for the DeSantis team as speculation continues to mount over the prospect of a 2024 bid. DeSantis has yet to reveal his intentions, and some say he will not make an official announcement until the Sunshine State’s current legislative session is over. However, DeSantis has upped his travel around the country in recent weeks, raising eyebrows and feeding the rumors.

Meanwhile, an April 12 report from NBC News indicates that DeSantis’s team has reached out to some members of Florida’s congressional delegation, asking them to withhold any further endorsements. Steube, who endorsed Trump Monday, is listed as one of the six members who has reportedly been contacted.

Per the report:

Since Donalds came out for Trump, DeSantis’ team has called at least six members of Florida’s congressional delegation, asking that they hold off on making any endorsements in the near future. They are: Reps. Aaron Bean, Vern Buchanan, Kat Cammack, Mario Diaz-Balart, Laurel Lee and Greg Steube.

Ryan Tyson, a longtime GOP pollster and mainstay in DeSantis’ political orbit, has led the effort. Tyson has initiated the calls, reaching out to schedule later calls between the members of Congress and DeSantis himself.

“There is clearly some angst from the DeSantis camp that so many members of the state’s congressional delegation are throwing their support behind Trump,” said a GOP consultant for one of the members contacted by DeSantis’ team. “Gaetz going with Trump is one thing, but Byron’s endorsement of the former president undoubtedly rattled some cages.”

The Florida congressional delegation aside, Trump has also received public support from other key lawmakers, including House Republican Conference chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), and Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN).

Two lawmakers, Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Thomas Massie (R-KY), have expressed public support for DeSantis.

But if either man — Trump or DeSantis — is waiting for the Republican Party of Florida to jump into the fray and choose a side, they will be waiting a while as chair Christian Ziegler said the party will not get involved in the primary battle.

“We’re going to support both men. We’re going to stay neutral. And we’re going to allow the grassroots to pick, and then whoever they pick, we’re gonna make sure they get elected, whether it’s President Trump [or] Governor DeSantis,” Ziegler said during a March appearance on Breitbart News Saturday. “We’re going to let the grassroots pick. We’re going to work like hell to get them elected afterwards.”

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