Florida Gov. Rick Scott says Trump ‘has America’s pulse’

“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,” Republican Gov. Rick Scott wrote in a USA Today op-ed dubbed “Donald Trump has America’s pulse.”

“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,” Scott added. “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 indicated he’s frustrated, like Trump is, with how the Obama administration has threatened economic growth.

“What happened to our country?” he asked. “Why isn’t everyone upset that federal regulations and taxes have steered us onto the wrong course? This shouldn’t be a frustration of just one candidate, or even one party. This should be universal.”

Scott also indicated he agrees with Trump’s aggressive plans to revamp the economy. “Our next president cannot simply tweak our national economic policies,” he wrote. “We need a complete overhaul.”

According to a RealClearPolitics average of polls for Florida, Trump has a sizable lead over his competitors with 34 percent support. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is in second place with 17.3 percent, followed by Rubio at 16.7 percent and Bush at 10.3 percent.

“I continue to believe that our next president will be chosen because he or she has a believable plan for robust job creation in America,” Scott wrote. “Yes, foreign policy and defense will be front burner issues in this election, but let’s not forget that without a thriving economy, we will never be able to afford the kind of vigorous defenses that our country must have.”

Florida’s primary is slated for March 15.