INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Florida Republican Party enlisted House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to rally its delegation for the convention’s opening day, but neither appeared eager to talk about Donald Trump.
McCarthy, one of Congress’ top-ranking Republicans and a Trump delegate from California, avoided making any mention of the GOP’s presumptive nominee and instead made a generic case for party unity.
“We must join together, put our fights aside, unite, and let’s climb that mountain,” McCarthy said. “And so we can talk about those bad eight years but the unbelievable decade in front of us and the opportunity our children will have.”
Hutchinson made a reluctant case for Trump and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Hutchinson noted that he previously supported former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for president, before endorsing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in advance of the Arkansas primary. Now, Hutchinson said, he is prepared to support the Trump-Pence ticket.
“I believe the political process, Donald Trump won fair and square and I’m not going to stop blocking because my quarterback didn’t get chosen by the coach,” Hutchinson said. “All is at stake in this election, and so when you look at the choices very simply, do you want a Trump-Pence Supreme Court or a Hillary Clinton Supreme Court? I know my choice.”
Florida overwhelmingly voted for Trump in the GOP primary, and its delegation appeared far more comfortable supporting the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee than the Sunshine State’s headliners on Monday. The elected Republicans’ struggle to talk about Trump evidences the divide between party officials and their voters.
