Florida’s Republican Gov. Rick Scott praised Donald Trump Wednesday evening, claiming the GOP presidential front-runner “has America’s pulse.”
While declining to endorse a candidate ahead of Florida’s March 15 primary, Scott wrote in an op-ed published by USA Today that Trump’s unconventional White House bid reminds him of his own gubernatorial campaign in 2010.
“I won the governor’s race in 2010 and many outsiders — some business people — continue to shock the political establishment by coming into elected office from careers outside of politics,” Scott wrote, highlighting his primary victory against the sitting Republican attorney general, Bill McCollum, in August 2010.
“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.”
“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,” he noted. “I think he is capturing the frustration of many Americans after seven years of President Obama’s very intentional government takeover of the U.S. economy.”
Striking a more general tone, Scott indicated he believes the “next president will be chosen because he or she has a believable plan for robust job creation in America.” Trump routinely touts his business acumen on the stump, telling voters he would be the “greatest jobs president that God ever created.”
The Florida governor declined to weigh in on either of the 2016 hopefuls hailing from Florida: Sen. Marco Rubio and Scott’s predecessor, former Gov. Jeb Bush.
“I want somebody who’s going to focus on the economy. They have to limit the growth of the federal government. They’ve got to cut taxes and regulation. … And we need somebody who’s going to fight ISIS. And then we still have to deal with health care,” Scott told Politico in March upon being asked which presidential candidate he might consider endorsing.
