Gus Bilirakis becomes 10th Florida congressional delegation member backing Donald Trump

Bilirakis 10.5.21
The Palm Harbor Republican for years represented the community where Ron DeSantis was raised.

Half of the Republicans representing Florida in the U.S. House have now endorsed Donald Trump for President.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis is throwing his support to the former President’s comeback bid for the White House.

“During his time in office, President Trump enacted policies that spurred economic growth, protected our national security, and improved the lives of millions of Americans,” Bilirakis said.

“As a member of Congress, I had the privilege of working with President Trump on several initiatives that directly benefited the people of Florida’s 12th congressional district. President Trump is the right leader to seize this moment by building upon past accomplishments, reversing the disastrous policies of the (Joe) Biden administration, and restoring America’s standing in the world.”

The Palm Harbor Republican is the 10th member of Florida’s congressional delegation to support Trump over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to launch a presidential bid within weeks.

Of note, Bilirakis for years represented the Dunedin community where DeSantis grew up. DeSantis’ parents still live in Bilirakis’ district, or rather they did before a congressional map drawn by DeSantis staff forced the lines for Bilirakis’ district north of the Pinellas County community he or his father have represented for decades.

He offered kind words to all candidates considering a run.

“Our nation is at a crossroads, and we need a leader who will put America first and ensure our country remains strong and prosperous,” Bilirakis said. “The robust field of Republican leaders is reflective of our diversity and strength.”

He also alluded to DeSantis’ likely bid

“I am fortunate to call several candidates (and potential candidates) friends and colleagues whose proven track record of leadership I deeply admire and respect,” he said.

“The State of Florida, alone, boasts two trailblazers of unabashed, bold leadership whose achievements in governance during challenging times are to be commended. President Trump has a proven track record of delivering results for the American people at the federal level, and I am proud to support him in his 2024 campaign.”

Bilirakis made his announced not long before Trump is expected to host a reception at Mar-a-Lago for Florida members of the delegation supporting his campaign.

That list now includes Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan, Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna, Brian Mast, Cory Mills, John Rutherford, Greg Steube and Michael Waltz.

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at [email protected].


3 comments

  • Family Values Hoaxster Billy the Bamboozler

    April 20, 2023 at 6:55 pm

    Throwing your lot in with Trump is like throwing your lot in for the Dems in 2024… because if Trump gets the nomination then he will lose!😆
    🤡 Disasterous policies of Joe Biden 🤡
    Not enough stupid people believe this right wing propaganda!😆

  • David Desilva

    April 20, 2023 at 8:26 pm

    Ah, poor Gus. He fell for Trump’s mafioso style intimidation tactics too. What a bunch of cowards in this party.

    Bend the knee to the Godfather and kiss his ring, or else he’ll say mean things about you to all those bots on Truth Social!

    • Ocean Joe

      April 21, 2023 at 5:32 am

      Or maybe the cold fish was a cold fish as a colleague in the House which explains why few of these guys prefer him over the bloated election denier. He’s not ready, may never be.

Comments are closed.


#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