Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) became the latest congressional Republican to endorse former President Donald Trump over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the 2024 presidential election.
Gooden’s endorsement came “after careful consideration and a positive meeting” with DeSantis, according to a press release from Gooden’s campaign.
Today, after careful consideration and a positive meeting with Governor DeSantis, I have decided to endorse President @realDonaldTrump for 2024.
I look forward to fighting alongside him to reclaim our country from the leftist forces trying to destroy it. pic.twitter.com/WqMNKxv6hV
— Lance Gooden (@Lancegooden) April 18, 2023
DeSantis traveled to the nation’s capital on Tuesday to “meet behind closed doors with a select group of congressional Republicans” to gauge support for a potential 2024 presidential candidacy, CBS News reported.
Gooden praised Trump for his positions on immigration, the economy, and national security in the endorsement.
Gooden said in a statement:
I met with Governor DeSantis, and while he has done commendable work in Florida, there is no doubt in my mind that President Trump is the only leader who can save America from the leftist onslaught we are currently facing. President Trump is a tireless fighter, a champion of American jobs, a guardian of our economy, and a bulwark against the relentless invasion of our borders by illegal immigrants. He unyieldingly supported our military and veterans, and bravely stood up to the dangerous socialist agenda propagated by the radical left. I wholeheartedly endorse President Donald J. Trump for the 2024 presidential election and vow to fight alongside him to reclaim our country from the leftist forces that threaten to destroy it. Together, we will ensure a prosperous and secure future for our great nation.
Former Trump campaign chief marketing officer Kaelan Dorr said Gooden’s endorsement of Trump after meeting with DeSantis “is like going to prom and DJT walking off with your date.”
This is like going to prom and DJT walking off with your date https://t.co/VTRp7KhWe8
— Kaelan Dorr 🍊 (@KDORR_USA) April 18, 2023
Although DeSantis has not launched a 2024 presidential bid, he has consistently polled second behind Trump in hypothetical Republican primary surveys.
DeSantis trails Trump by nearly 30 points, according to a Morning Consult survey released Tuesday that found 53 percent of Republican primary voters support Trump, compared to 24 percent for DeSantis.
Many pundits expect DeSantis to announce his 2024 plans after Florida’s legislative session ends in the coming months.
Gooden joins other congressional Republicans in endorsing Trump, including multiple members of Florida’s congressional delegation.
Gooden’s endorsement comes one day after Florida Rep. Greg Steube (R) endorsed Trump and similarly praised the former president as the “only person” for the job.
“I’m happy and honored to endorse Donald J. Trump for president in 2024,” Steube told Newsmax on Monday. “He’s the only person that can reverse on day one all these disastrous policies of the Biden administration.”
Florida Rep. Byron Donalds (R) also praised Trump as the “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,” in an endorsement earlier this month.
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.
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