Trump, master of the one-liner, king of the rambling disquisition, rolled into Miami – late, like everyone else, probably due to traffic – to deliver what has become his trademark presidential candidate speech, in which he was equal parts nostalgic raconteur, motivational speaker and plain-spoken truth-teller.
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Trump promised thousands of Florida supporters that they’d see a vastly changed America if he’s elected president – then changed the “if” to “when”. “We’ve got to build up our military so big, so strong, so powerful”.
The campaign is also planning to open a Sarasota office in early November, said Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.
Trump jumped from subject to subject during his 65 minute speech – polling, his opponents, foreign affairs, tax policy – always swinging back to his pledge to end the incompetence or foolishness that he says rules the country.
Correspondent Lourdes Del Rio said that six Univision staffers were turned away by police from the event at the Trump National Doral Miami, located adjacent to Univision’s offices in the city. Carson is as I’ve said too soft-spoken.
Joe Gruters and Donald Trump in May in Sarasota.
He offered business advice: “Deals aren’t deals”. Marco Rubio speaks in a rapidfire, nervous manner, even when he isn’t sweating.
He made no mention about Univision – the Spanish-language broadcaster whose studios are next door to Trump National Doral – which wasn’t allowed into the rally on account of Trump’s lawsuit against the company for canceling his Miss Universe pageant.
“Mr. Trump is suing Univision for $500 million and until that is resolved it is a conflict of interest”, Hope Hicks, spokeswoman for the Trump campaign said in an email.
Recent polls have Trump leading both Rubio and Bush in Florida, a must-win state for Republicans in the presidential election.
He also said the polls in Iowa “are wrong” and said most pollsters “don’t like me at all”.
It’s first stop in Florida since he announced his 2016 bid.
The Real Clear Politics polling average on Friday showed Trump had support of 24.7 percent of Florida Republicans.
“We need Trump!” the crowd chanted at one point. “But Ben Carson is super low energy, right?”
“By coming down to South Florida, he’s reaching out to the Hispanic community that’s willing to vote for him potentially and he’s making a case for the state of Florida”, said Zelden.
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Susie Wiles, a well-known Jacksonville political consultant, was named Friday as a Florida co-chair for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
