| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | |  Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., arrives to speak before Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Trump National Doral. | Marta Lavandier/AP Photo | Good morning and welcome to Wednesday. Donald Trump had a big stage and massive audience at his luxurious Doral property all ready to go in case he wanted to announce his vice presidential pick last night. Spoiler: He didn’t do it. But Trump sure seemed to get a kick out of stringing everyone along over it — especially Sen. Marco Rubio, who’s thought to be in the top tier of options and was sitting in the audience. Trump repeatedly name-dropped Rubio during his speech at his Doral golf course, openly bringing the jockeying for the No. 2 job into public view in front of thousands of supporters who waited hours sweating in South Florida humidity to hear him speak. Interviews with Florida Republicans reveal they’d be enthusiastically on board, showing just how deep the senator’s roots are in the state and how much has changed since Rubio challenged the man he once called “con artist” Trump. Attending the rally was even Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, who endorsed Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary but is also a Rubio family friend. “It’s important that we as a Republican Party are fully unified behind our ticket, and if that ticket includes Marco Rubio, I think we’ll be even more enthusiastic about it,” said state Rep. Juan Carlos Porras of Miami, the first Gen. Z member of the state House who worked on Rubio’s Senate campaign and called him a mentor. “I relate a lot to him,” he added, raising the fact that Rubio was only 34 when he led the state House. “He serves as an inspiration to a lot of the newer generation of conservatives like myself.” Fellow Florida Sen. Rick Scott didn’t even hold back, telling the audience when it was his turn to speak that “he’d be a great vice presidential pick.” Rubio himself hit the stage to loud applause from the MAGA faithful, switching between English and Spanish during his speech. “I could picture it,” state Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez, whose district includes the Keys, said when asked for her reaction to Rubio’s speech and the possibility of him ending up on the GOP ticket with Trump. “I like seeing other people of my same heritage do well in politics and serve this country,” said Rodriguez, who is Cuban-American like Rubio. “This country welcomed us when we came here from Cuba with nothing.” Rep. Randy Fine of Palm Bay called Rubio “brilliant” and added that if selected he’d be a “spectacular pick.” But he said it was smart of Trump to withhold any announcement about who he would be choosing as vice president given that Democrats were facing an internal crisis over whether to replace their presumptive nominee after President Joe Biden’s abysmal debate performance. “When your opponent is killing themselves,” Fine said, “you stay out of their way.” 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.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, our newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | APPEALED — “Florida appeals federal judge’s ruling over children’s health insurance,” reports Jim Saunders of News Service of Florida. “Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office and lawyers for the state Agency for Health Care Administration on Monday filed a notice that they were appealing the May 31 ruling by U.S. District Judge William Jung to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals … The lawsuit, which Florida filed in February in Tampa, challenges coverage-related guidelines in the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program, which operates in Florida as KidCare.” ‘RIGHT DIRECTION’ — “AG Moody ‘cautiously optimistic’ at declining number of opioid-related deaths,” reports Jay Waagmeester of Florida Phoenix. “Alcohol was the drug most frequently found in those who died from intoxicants in the period, with 2,957 instances, a 5 percent drop from the year before, followed by fentanyl, with 2,822 instances, a 10 percent drop.” ECON CHECKUP — “Florida’s economy is resilient, but growing pains persist,” reports Talia Blake of Central Florida Public Media. “Compared to the national economy, the state’s real gross domestic product will grow 1 percent faster, unemployment will remain one-tenth of a percentage point lower, and payroll job growth will be faster by 0.6 percent.”
| | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | | |  Suspended Florida State Attorney Andrew Warren holds a press conference while flanked by his attorneys discussing his lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on August 17, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. | Octavio Jones/Getty Images | | HOW SOON IS NOW? — Ousted Hillsborough County prosecutor Andrew Warren submitted a sharply worded request to a federal appeals court this week asking them to direct a lower court to reconsider his case. Warren was suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis back in August 2022 after the twice-elected Democrat signed a pledge saying he would not enforce bans on abortion or transgender care. Warren challenged the suspension. A federal judge ruled that while the governor’s actions were likely unconstitutional, he lacked the power to reinstate him. Earlier this year, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals threw out that decision and asked the trial judge to reevaluate the case. The appeals court said Warren’s statements were protected speech rather than official policies for which he could be removed. But the case has remained in limbo because an unidentified appeals judge has held it up. In a filing made on Monday, Warren’s attorney protested the ongoing delay. “Every day that passes in this posture is one in which the results of a free and fair election are denied. This court should immediately issue the mandate so the district court can promptly resolve this litigation,” wrote David O’Neil on behalf of Warren. Warren meanwhile is running for another term. If he wins the Democratic primary he will square off against the state attorney that DeSantis appointed to replace him. — Gary Fineout CHILD TESTIMONY? — “Florida school board, sued for book bans, wants to take testimony of 7-year-old student,” reports Douglas Soule of USA Today Network — Florida. “A Florida school board is trying to take the deposition of one of its 7-year-old students in the hopes it helps tank a federal lawsuit filed over some of its book ban decisions. The Escambia County School Board, which is simultaneously arguing its own members can't be deposed, says it ‘has the right to explore the claims and defenses in the case directly with the students.’" ‘CAN’T DO IT BY OURSELVES’ — “South Florida cities scramble to find homelessness solutions to address new state law,” reports Lisa J. Huriash of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “South Florida’s local governments are now urgently seeking solutions to address a new Florida law that will ban the homeless from sleeping in public spaces. Broward County administrators recently addressed a handful of Broward’s 31 cities to brainstorm what would be an ‘appropriate response’ to what they called a ‘pretty devastating statute.’” EXPELLED — “UF kicks arrested pro-Palestinian protesters out of school for up to 4 years,” by Vivienne Serret of WUFT. “In secretive hearings, the University of Florida set aside recommendations to lightly punish some of the college students arrested after pro-Palestinian protests on campus and kicked them all out of school for three to four years. The decisions by the new dean of students, Chris Summerlin, overruled what were effectively sentencing recommendations by the juries, known as hearing bodies, who heard testimony and watched police video of the protests and arrests during the disciplinary cases.”
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Democratic Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell raised more than $4.8 million during the second quarter, per figures shared by her campaign staff. They also reported that 60 percent of those who gave were first-time donors. Mucarsel-Powell is vying to win the Democratic nomination next month to go up against incumbent GOP Sen. Rick Scott, a multimillionaire who has historically self-funded his campaigns. Official figures aren't due to the Federal Election Commission until July 15. NOT A HEADLINER — “DeSantis not scheduled to speak at convention — but he’ll still be in Milwaukee,” by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout, Meridith McGraw and Kimberly Leonard. “DeSantis … is not scheduled to have a main stage speaking slot … But the GOP governor will participate in other Republican events occurring in conjunction with the convention that could keep him somewhat in the spotlight — and in the minds of the party faithful … He’s appearing at a town hall hosted by Moms for Liberty and is set to appear at the ‘Southern States Fest’ being held at the Milwaukee Brewers’ stadium that will feature other GOP governors from the region. DeSantis will also be the main speaker at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Republican Party of Florida.”
|  Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones, center, and Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried answer questions from the media after speaking out against Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump and the Project 2025 agenda, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, during a news conference ahead of Trump's evening rally in Doral, Fla. | Wilfredo Lee/AP | | THEY’RE WITH HIM — Florida Democrats are sticking by President Joe Biden in his quest to reelection, state party chair Nikki Fried told reporters during a press conference in Doral yesterday. Playbook specifically asked Fried why the state party was remaining loyal to Biden despite his campaign chief Jen O’Malley Dillon saying Florida wasn’t a battleground and the campaign not spending a lot to compete in Florida. “It has nothing to do with spending; it has to do with the man,” Fried said, extolling the president’s actions during the Covid pandemic, spending bills on infrastructure, capping insulin prices and bipartisan gun regulations. “This man has done more for this country than anybody else in the current history,” she continued, “and that is why we support this president — because we understand the heart and the passion that goes behind each one of those decisions.” Fried, in contrast, accused Trump of creating “chaos” and trying to benefit himself. The state party’s press conference was focused on “Project 2025” — a list of policies the conservative Heritage Foundation assembled for a second Trump term. Trump has said the project has nothing to do with him, but it was put together by people who used to work in his administration or past campaigns. State Sen. Shevrin Jones (D-Miami Gardens), who’s also chair of Miami-Dade Democrats, said D.C. pundits — including O’Malley Dillon — needed to come to Florida to see the work state Democrats were doing. The doubt about Florida being in play was “frustrating,” he acknowledged, given that “we are working our asses off here in Miami-Dade County” to help elect Biden and Democrats down ballot. “I want us as Democrats to understand: One, we can't eat our own; two, we can’t continue to come after our own. And three, we have to support each other — especially in Florida — we can't win if you say we can't win. But I'm telling you right now: Florida is working to win, period.” — “Democrats troll Trump ahead of Miami-Dade campaign rally with Project 2025 billboards,” per Alexandra Glorioso at the Miami Herald. DRAMA — “Republican congressional primary race to defeat Wasserman Schultz gets ugly, violent,” by Javier Manjarres of The Floridian. “The contentious Republican congressional primary race between public relations executive Bryan Leib and Ret. Brigadier General Christopher Eddy has reached a new level of vitriol. Leib, who recently jumped into the primary race in hopes of eventually replacing Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), has released a video accusing Eddy’s campaign manager, Yvette Cerabona, of assaulting an individual at a July 4 parade in Weston, Florida.”
| | DATELINE D.C. | | OPENING UP — “Trump VP hopeful Byron Donalds’ ex-wife shares her story, says what he’s doing is ‘super-dangerous,’” reports the Florida Trident’s Bob Norman. “The 45-year-old Donalds has stood out his entire political career, initially as one of very few Black Tea Party Republicans in a sea of almost exclusively white faces, and today as a top surrogate for the Trump campaign and the MAGA movement. Now a stalwart of the Christian Right, he was neither religious nor political during the eight years of their on-again-off-again relationship, [Bisa] Hall said, though he did register to vote in Tallahassee — as a Democrat.” — “Luna appeals to Democrats’ Biden anxiety in asking them to support fining Garland,” reports Emily Brooks of The Hill.
| | | | 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 | | — Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, made his rally debut last night, per Nikki Schwab of the Daily Mail. — “‘Free State of Florida’ signs now welcome drivers to the Sunshine State,” per CBS12. BIRTHDAYS: Rep. Brian Mast … former Rep. Ron Klein ... Miami-Dade County Commissioner and former state Sen. René García … former State Rep. Gary Aubuchon. | | | | 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 | | | | |
Comments
Post a Comment