Florida Republican Party Endorses Trump for President

Former President Donald Trump speaks at Treasure Island Resort & Casino after Nevada caucus results in Las Vegas, Nev., on Feb. 8, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Former President Donald Trump has added another presidential endorsement to his list of supporters, with the Florida Republican Party announcing that it’s officially throwing its weight behind the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House.

“Today, the Florida GOP proudly endorsed Trump for President. It is time Republicans come together to DEFEAT Biden and save the future of our nation,” the Republican Party of Florida said in a post on X.

The decision to endorse President Trump was taken at the Florida GOP’s annual meeting in Wesley Chapel on Friday, according to Florida Voice.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures during a campaign rally at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nev., on Dec. 17, 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

‘The Primary Is Over’

The party endorsement is unusual in light of the timing of past endorsements, given that President Trump still faces a primary challenge. The decision is widely seen as a vote of confidence in the view that President Trump has all but officially clinched the Republican nomination for president.

Florida state Rep. Dean Black, chairman of the Duval County Republican Party, made the motion to endorse President Trump, expressing the view that it’s obvious who the GOP nominee will be.

“The Primary is over!” Mr. Black wrote in a post on X. “Now is the time to unite and deliver victory in Florida for @realDonaldTrump!”

The vote on the endorsement came a day after President Trump’s historic primary victory in the Nevada caucus, setting a new record for the most votes received.

The former president’s primary win in Nevada followed record-breaking results in two other states—Iowa and New Hampshire.

Supporters of former President Donald Trump celebrate at a watch party during the Iowa Republican presidential caucuses in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 15, 2024. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Following the two history-making wins in January, Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power said that it was time to rally around President Trump, presaging Friday’s vote.

“The results of Iowa and New Hampshire make it clear that President Trump is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party,” Mr. Power said in January.

“To that end, the Republican Party of Florida will hold a formal vote to endorse President Trump at our annual meeting on February 10th,“ he continued, before adding: ”It is time for Republicans to come together and put 100% of our focus on defeating Joe Biden and his failed administration in November.”

‘It Got Hotter’

While President Trump still has a primary challenger in the form of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, he has a commanding lead in the polls, with 74.3 percent support compared to 18.1 percent for Ms. Haley, according to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average.

The former president is also far ahead in terms of endorsements. So far, President Trump has racked up 235 noteworthy endorsements, including from House representatives, senators, and state governors—a figure many times higher than the handful given to Ms. Haley.

Ms. Haley’s defeat in Nevada turned up the volume on calls for her to exit the race as critics say her continued candidacy is a waste of resources that should be used to defeat President Biden.

Her campaign, however, insists she’s still in the race and determined to win.

“We’re full steam ahead in South Carolina and beyond,” Ms. Haley’s campaign said in an email to The Epoch Times.

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley speaks at a rally at the Etherredge Center in Aiken, S.C., on Feb. 5, 2024. Allison Joyce/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump’s recent historic primary victories have come as something of a surprise to some.

“I think everybody got in the race thinking the Trump fever would break,” longtime Republican strategist Chip Saltsman, who chaired the campaign of one of President Trump’s rivals, told The Associated Press.

“And it didn’t break. It got hotter.”

Taylor Swift Endorsement Rumors

Meanwhile, as President Joe Biden’s approval ratings sit at historic lows, his team is reportedly looking to get some enthusiasm going for his campaign by seeking an endorsement from pop superstar Taylor Swift.

It’s unclear whether Ms. Swift, who boasts over 279 million followers on Instagram and has consistently backed Democrats, plans to endorse President Biden.

She endorsed President Biden in the 2020 presidential election and has expressed unfavorable views of President Trump.

Taylor Swift wears a Kansas City Chiefs jacket featuring Travis Kelce's jersey number as she arrives at an NFL game between the Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins in Kansas City, Mo., on Jan. 13, 2024. Ed Zurga/AP Photo

While rumors of a Swift endorsement of President Biden have left some Trump supporters concerned, a number of experts told The Epoch Times that such an endorsement would be unlikely to give President Biden all that big of a boost.

Endorsements aside, President Biden’s strategy appears focused on trying to win over independent voters, while seeking to label President Trump and his supporters as “Make America Great Again” extremists and accusing them of being anti-democratic for their calls for vote audits.

President Trump, on the other hand, has called out President Biden for his “disastrous” energy and border policies, saying they undermine U.S. national security, while pegging the president as frail, incompetent, and dishonest.