| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | |  President Joe Biden speaks at a news conference following the NATO Summit in Washington, Thursday, July 11, 2024. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo | Good morning and happy Friday. No House Democrats from Florida have asked President Joe Biden to step aside. And after last night’s high-stakes, hourlong press conference, Biden may have delivered enough for members to stick with their positions — at least for now. Biden’s presser, done at the end of a three-day NATO gathering in D.C., had a couple instances of him mixing up names. But he also gave detailed answers on foreign policy — and made it clear he intends to remain in the race. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former Democratic National Committee chair, was the first to post on X last night that she was “Ridin’ with Biden.” The president had shown “how a world leader with his hand firmly on the tiller of our ship of state, manages the country, U.S. national security interests and the naysayers,” she wrote. Wasserman Schultz made her allegiances clear even before last night, telling the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s editorial board that she didn’t think it was “wise” to change the nominee and encouraged Democrats to engage in “door knocking and phone calling — not pearl-clutching and hand-wringing.” While cracks have begun to show in the president’s support among other delegations — though not always among people willing to go public — Florida Democrats have either stayed quiet or provided full-throated support for Biden. Rep. Darren Soto, who’s in a district Republicans are targeting, told the Lakeland Ledger yesterday that he supported Biden being the nominee and that he had confidence the president would “take the time to show the American people he is still up for the challenge.” His office told Playbook last night that his support was unchanged after the press conference. Others praised the president’s commitment to NATO rather than comment specifically on his performance. “In this moment of widespread conflict, the president’s leadership has served in stark contrast to Donald Trump and how he abandoned these vital relationships during his term,” said Rep. Lois Frankel in a statement released ahead of the press conference. Phil Ehr, a retired Navy commander who’s running for Congress, praised NATO leaders and Biden for working against Russia to help Ukraine. Rep. Jared Moskowitz made a lighthearted joke after Biden said his staff was often adding commitments to his schedule. “I can’t relate, my staff, they delete things,” he wrote. Rep. Frederica Wilson was one of several Congressional Black Caucus members to stand by Biden early on, warning other members to “stop undermining this incredible actual leader who has delivered real results for our country.” Rep. Maxwell Frost, the youngest member of Congress, told reporters this week he’d been “reassured” by the campaign’s plan for ad spending and for playing up the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a list of conservative policy proposals for a second term that Trump has disavowed but were put together by people who used to work in his administration. Delegates to the convention from South Florida said after the press conference that their support was “unwavering.” The stalwart support is surprising given that the Biden campaign hasn’t poured major spending into Florida like it has in battleground states. But Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a Doral press conference this week that the state party stood by Biden’s record, which made the president the “clear choice” to lead the ticket. “Don't judge the president off 90 minutes, judge him off four years,” Democratic state Sen. Shevrin Jones of Miami Gardens said at the same event, echoing the arguments made by Vice President Kamala Harris. Last night, he doubled down on backing the president. “This doesn’t sound like a president who’s about to give up on the American people,” Jones said on social media. “I’m sticking with Biden.” COMING UP: Playbook will be on the ground at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Send tips to kleonard@politico.com about Florida-focused get togethers, speaking slots and anything else of interest to our readers.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waves as he finishes his State of the State address during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives. | Phil Sears/AP | DESANTIS WIN — “Groups end federal legal challenge to DeSantis-backed congressional map,” reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. “A coalition of voting rights and civil rights groups that challenged Gov. Ron DeSantis’ congressional map is ending its legal fight. After losing during the first round in federal court, the groups announced on Thursday that they would not appeal that ruling to the Supreme Court. The lower court rebuffed arguments that the map — which dismantled the North Florida seat held by a Black Democrat — was discriminatory and unconstitutional.” IN VAIN I HAVE STRUGGLED — “Florida Department of Education includes Jane Austen novel in ‘American Pride’ recs,” by Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski. “July is a month for patriotic celebration, particularly during ‘Freedom Summer.’ But the Florida Department of Education is stretching that just a bit with its book recommendations rolled out this week, with one recycled recommendation serving as a callback to colonialism. FDOE announced this week that among the recommended offerings is Jane Austen’s classic ‘Pride and Prejudice’ from 1813, published some decades after the United States achieved freedom from British tyranny.” OPEN LETTER — “Theater festivals offer to give up their grants if DeSantis restores funding for Florida arts groups,” by The Associated Press’ Mike Schneider. “Leaders of two performing arts festivals said Thursday that they would gladly give up their grants if Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis restores the $32 million in state funding he nixed for more than 600 Florida arts groups, explaining the reason for his veto as being because the two theatrical events were ‘a sexual festival.’ Leaders of The Orlando Fringe and Tampa Fringe described the governor’s description as inaccurate on Thursday at a news conference, but they said it was important for the state’s arts groups to be funded because they play critical roles in their communities. The Orlando festival had been slated to get $70,500, and the Tampa festival was in line to receive $7,500 before the veto.” EXPUNGEMENT HURDLE — “Florida could legalize marijuana, but people arrested still face tough road,” reports Romy Ellenbogen of the Tampa Bay Times. “Over the last several decades, hundreds of thousands of Floridians have been arrested for having an amount of marijuana that could soon become legal if a proposed amendment passes in November. Amendment 3 would allow people to possess up to three ounces of recreational marijuana. But even if it passes, the records of those who’ve already been arrested won’t be cleared.” — “Florida pulls digital driver’s license from app stores without explanation,” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Jeffrey Schweers. HOLDOVER COVERAGE — “Condo buildings with uninsurable roofs to get Citizens' coverage as they pursue replacement,” reports the Palm Beach Post’s Anne Geggis. “Condominium buildings with roofs too old or too damaged to qualify for insurance will get some relief — the state’s insurer of last resort has agreed to cover the buildings if certain conditions are met … The Citizens staff proposed that high-risk buildings would be offered coverage only if a roof-replacement contract was in place, with a deposit paid.” — “Experts are concerned the Florida scrub jay is not getting the protection it needs from development,” reports WUSF’s Aileyahu Shanes.
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | ‘AND TANGO MAKES THREE’ — “School officials can’t avoid testifying on book removal, judge says,” by News Service of Florida. “A federal judge Wednesday rejected arguments that Escambia County School Board members and the superintendent of schools should be shielded from testifying about the removal of a school-library book — but said the board can file a revised request.” CLIMATE CHANGE KILLER — “In a first, sea rise kills off a Florida Keys species. Scientists fear it won’t be the last,” reports the Miami Herald’s Alex Harris. “But as of last year, the very last of the [key largo tree] is gone. And researchers believe sea level rise was the main culprit — rising tides and groundwater turning the soil too salty for the plant to survive. It appears this local extinction (also known as extirpation) could be the first climate-driven demise of a species in the United States.”
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | PAPERTRAIL — “Hemp execs pledge millions to Republican Party of Florida, texts reveal,” by Jim DeFede of CBS Miami. “After Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that would severely limit and regulate their industry, hemp executives across the state pledged $5 million in donations to the Republican Party of Florida, according to WhatsApp messages reviewed by CBS News Miami. ‘We know nothing in life is free and neither was this veto,’ explained an introductory post on the WhatsApp message group known as Save Florida Hemp.” ‘FESTIVE AFFAIR’ — “Trump on cruise control before convention,” reports Marc Caputo of The Bulwark. “When Donald Trump planned his rally this past week at his golf course near Miami, it was with specific messaging in mind. The event had been conceived of as a way to stick the proverbial middle finger up at the justice system. Trump would appear alongside a crowd of Cuban Americans, some of his most loyal followers, where he would portray himself (like them) as a victim of state-sponsored political persecution. The timing, too, was quite specific. He would be speaking just two days before he was set to be sentenced in his hush-money case, which — when the rally was being planned — felt like it would be a seismic campaign moment. But then things changed. Dramatically.” FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Former Key Biscayne mayor Mike Davey, who is running for the Democratic nomination for Florida’s 27th Congressional District, just launched a pair of new six-figure ads that’ll run on cable, streaming and digital in the Miami market. The first ad is about abortion rights and has Davey talking about how “I won’t stop fighting until your rights are protected.” It shows images of Gov. Ron DeSantis and GOP Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who currently holds the seat, in the background. In the second ad, which is longer, Davey portrays himself as a fighter and the video shows a boxing ring. “Women's rights are under attack, our democracy is under attack, and corporations are gouging our families at every turn,” Davey says in the spot. “This is a fight we have to win.” — “Stephanie Murphy backs ‘pragmatist’ Whitney Fox for CD 13,” by Florida Politics’ Janelle Irwin Taylor. — “State attorney candidate was fired from agency he now wants to lead, records show,” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher.
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | MAL SUMMIT — “Trump met with Orbán in Florida after NATO summit,” reports POLITICO’s Meridith McGraw. “Former President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary [met] on Thursday following the NATO summit in Washington, just one week after Orbán met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, two people familiar with the arrangements confirmed.” BYGONES — “Ron DeSantis to headline pro-Trump super PAC Right for America fundraiser,” reports the National Review’s Audrey Fahlberg. “DeSantis's attendance is expected to help draw high-dollar donors as tickets to the Right for America dinner, which will take place on July 17 during the Republican National Convention. Tickets cost $50,000 per person and $75,000 per couple, and all funds from the event will be used to help reelect Trump in November.” FLORIDA SHOWING — “Don Jr. to speak ahead of Trump's VP nominee at RNC,” by Axios’ Sophia Cai. “Donald Trump Jr. is scheduled to speak right before his father's vice presidential pick at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Wednesday, Axios has learned. It's the latest sign that former President Trump has zeroed in on Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as a favorite contender to be his running mate, over North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).” … But a source close to Trump Jr. told POLITICO’s Meridith McGraw that the former president’s son has had the same speaker lineup spot ahead of the to-be-announced running mate for weeks, so the public shouldn’t necessarily read anything into it.
| | | DATELINE D.C. | | |  Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) arrives for a press conference on Capitol Hill on June 26, 2024 in Washington, DC. | Samuel Corum/Getty Images | RESOLUTION TANKED — “House GOP fails to pass effort to fine Garland $10,000 per day,” by POLITICO’s Jordain Carney. “The House on Thursday rejected a rare effort to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in ‘inherent contempt’ after a handful of Republicans helped squash the resolution. Democrats and a handful of Republicans defeated the measure on a 204-210 vote. It was forced by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and would have required the top Justice Department official to pay fines of $10,000 per day until he handed over audio of former special counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Joe Biden.” — “Ex-SBA employee in Miami charged with fleecing pandemic loan programs run by her agency,” reports Jay Weaver of the Miami Herald.
| | TRANSITION TIME | | MAKING MOVES — Communications and public affairs firm Narrative Strategies is opening an office in West Palm Beach. It’ll be led by Matt Moon, who was deputy executive director at the National Republican Senatorial Committee under Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and spokesperson for his 2014 gubernatorial reelection campaign. Also joining the office is director Kelly O’Keefe, who used to work for Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.). (Thursday’s Playbook misidentified the firm’s name in this item.)
| | | | Understand 2024’s big impacts with Pro’s extensive Campaign Races Dashboard, exclusive insights, and key coverage of federal- and state-level debates. Focus on policy. Learn more. | | | | | | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — Floridians get an extra day, Sunday, to harvest spiny lobster, per C.A. Bridges of USA Today Network — Florida. — Sharks keep attacking people in Florida, per the Charlotte Observer. — “Stephen Ross is launching his second act at 84: A new Florida Real estate firm,” by the Wall Street Journal’s Peter Grant. BIRTHDAYS: Former Rep. and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum … Erin Gaetz, executive producer and creative director … former state Rep. Franklin Sands … former state Sen. John Grant ... Craig Varn, vice president and general counsel at Verano … Bob Rackleff, Big Bend Voting Rights Project and former presidential speechwriter … (Saturday) Rep. Cory Mills …. Former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Kirk Wagar … Sun Sentinel’s Dan Sweeney … Barbara Foley of UnitedHealth Group … (Sunday) Mike Vasilinda, former television reporter and journalist. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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