Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) is the latest member of the Florida congressional delegation to endorse former President Donald Trump in his 2024 presidential bid.
“I think that what’s happening in New York is a very unifying event,” Mills, representing Florida’s Seventh Congressional District, told Time magazine.
“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 added:
Mills stands as one of the latest members of the Florida congressional delegation to throw support behind Trump as speculation continues to mount over the prospect of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) jumping into the presidential ring. Last week, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who is a friend of DeSantis, endorsed Trump.
“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 in a statement.
“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:
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is among Florida congressional lawmakers who have openly expressed that they prefer Trump run now and DeSantis to wait until 2028, contending that Trump has the “magic for this moment.”
“I support President Trump,” he said while speaking to Eric Bolling at CPAC in March.
“I have worked very closely with Ron DeSantis. I worked very hard to get him elected governor, and I want all eight years of Ron DeSantis as the governor of the state of Florida,” the congressman explained.
“If we do it right, we’ll get the best of both,” Gaetz emphasized. “We’ll get four years of Donald Trump’s presidency in his second term. Then we may have Ron DeSantis’ presidency thereafter.”
Later that month, Gaetz called on both Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and DeSantis to endorse Trump in 2024.
“So Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz: patriots of the MAGA movement delivered for you in your time of need,” Gaetz said during a speech at a Trump rally in Waco, Texas.
“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,” he added.
Freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) also endorsed Trump but has clarified that 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 continued, concluding Trump is “the person that we need right now for this country.”
Trump has also received endorsements from those outside of Florida, including House Republican Conference chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS).
DeSantis, who has yet to formally announce a presidential bid, has received endorsements from Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Thomas Massie (R-KY).
However, even if DeSantis chooses to run, the Republican Party of Florida will stay neutral in the fight, according to Florida GOP chairman Christian Ziegler.
“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. We’re going to let the grassroots pick. We’re going to work like hell to get them elected afterwards,” Ziegler said during a March appearance on Breitbart News Saturday.
FLASHBACK — Gaetz: Trump vs. DeSantis a ‘Media Creation’; ‘These Guys Are on the Same Side’
Jack Knudsen / Breitbart News
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