Rick Scott: Fellow outsider Donald Trump “has America’s pulse”

donald trump ap photo 12_12

Gov. Rick Scott says he won’t endorse in the 2016 GOP presidential contest, but he did come out Wednesday morning with kind words for Donald Trump.

In an op-ed piece for USA Today, Scott said he feels affinities for the New York real estate mogul, comparing Trump’s “nontraditional” run for the White House to his own outsider campaign for governor in 2010.

“Political pundits are shocked that Donald Trump is leading in the polls,” wrote Scott. “The same thing happened in 2010 when I entered the Florida gubernatorial race against the already anointed and establishment-endorsed sitting Republican attorney general. One establishment member even said to me ‘How can you be Governor? I don’t know you.'”

“I know Donald Trump personally, and while I currently have no plans to endorse a candidate before Florida’s March presidential primary, there is no doubt that Donald is a man who speaks and tweets his mind freely,” Scott continued, in a reference to Trump’s freewheeling style online and in the flesh.

“But, I don’t think his ability to give the most interesting interviews or speeches is the only thing that has him leading in the polls. I think he is capturing the frustration of many Americans after seven years of President Obama’s very intentional government takeover of the American economy.”

Scott concluded with an on-message coda about jobs, jobs, and more jobs, but not before an intriguing appeal to Trump’s revolutionary potential.

“Our next president cannot simply tweak our national economic policies,” wrote Scott. “We need a complete overhaul.”

Ryan Ray

Ryan Ray covers politics and public policy in North Florida and across the state. He has also worked as a legislative researcher and political campaign staffer. He can be reached at [email protected].



#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories