Last Updated Jul 31, 2018 7:14 PM EDT
President Trump is in Tampa, Florida, Tuesday night to stump for GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis, who is running for governor. DeSantis has been a vocal advocate of Mr. Trump and his policies, as well as a vocal critic of the Justice Department and intelligence agencies. Florida’s primary is Aug. 28.
It remains to be seen how much Mr. Trump will vocalize support Tuesday night for current GOP Gov. Rick Scott, who is vying for Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson’s seat.
When he arrived on stage shortly aft 7 p.m. the president was met by fans with “Make America Great Again” and “Make Farmers Great Again” hats, and supporters with signs including one that said, “Hillary Will Start World War 3.” In his first two sentences, Mr. Trump mentioned his 2016 victory in Florida.
Introducing DeSantis and inviting him on stage, Mr. Trump called him a “tough, brilliant cookie.”
Mr. Trump tweeted out his support for DeSantis Tuesday morning.
“Will be in Tampa tonight. A big year for @RepDeSantis, who will be a great governor for Florida. Strong on Crime, Borders and our 2nd Amendment. Big help on Tax & Regulation Cuts. Loves our Military & our Vets. Has my Full & Total Endorsement!” the president tweeted Tuesday morning.
DeSantis, a conservative member of the House Freedom Caucus, has been one of the president’s most ardent supporters, perhaps particularly as the president rails against the DOJ and intelligence community over special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election meddling and any ties to the Trump campaign. Last summer, DeSantis introduced a measure to end the Mueller probe after six months, although that measure didn’t go anywhere.
This week, DeSantis released an ad in which he tells his young daughter, using children’s blocks, to build a wall, reminiscent of Mr. Trump’s desire to build a wall along the southern border. Mr. Trump has threatened to shut down the federal government this fall if he doesn’t get the funding he wants for his border wall.
[embedded content]
© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
