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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Trump rallying support for Florida gubernatorial candidate

In this June 27, 2018 photo President Donald Trump hugs Senate candidate Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., during a campaign rally in Fargo, N.D. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)
By Anne Flaherty and Ken Thomas Associated Press

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is wading into Florida’s internal Republican politics, joining his endorsed candidate for governor in a competitive primary.

Trump was holding a rally in Tampa on Tuesday night in a show of force for Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., who faces off against state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the state’s Aug. 28 Republican primary.

Another Trump ally, Gov. Rick Scott, was joining the president at a round-table event earlier in the day but steering clear of the Tampa rally at the Florida State Fairgrounds as he prepares for the Senate primary. Scott is seeking to defeat Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in a high-profile Senate race.

Trump’s arrival in Florida underscored the larger-than-life presence he has wielded in Republican primaries ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, capable of influencing the outcomes of primaries with a single tweet.

With sky-high approval ratings among Republican voters, the president has injected himself into several recent GOP primaries, helping candidates in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina with endorsements that have helped set the stage for the fall elections.

Florida represented a crucial triumph for Trump in the 2016 presidential election and the president has maintained a steady presence in the state, returning frequently to his winter home in Palm Beach.

DeSantis has tied his campaign for governor directly to Trump, appearing on Fox News more than 100 times to talk about federal issues and defend the president. DeSantis has campaigned with Fox’s Sean Hannity and Donald Trump Jr. and uses humor in a new ad to show his alliance with the president, teaching one of his two children to “build the wall” with blocks.

Putnam, a state agriculture commissioner and former congressman, has run a more traditional campaign for governor, barnstorming the state with campaign events aimed at building upon his family’s deep ties to the state.