Florida Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Michael Waltz endorse Trump over DeSantis in 2024 election: ‘The right leader’

Two U.S. Representatives from the state of Florida, Reps. Gus Bilirakis and Michael Waltz, have endorsed former President Donald Trump over their own state’s governor to be the next President of the United States.

On Thursday, Rep. Bilirakis, R-Fla., released a statement calling Trump “the right leader” to best reverse the “disastrous policies of the Biden administration.”

“During his time in office, President Trump enacted policies that spurred economic growth, protected our national security, and improved the lives of millions of Americans,” Bilirakis said. “As a member of Congress, I had the privilege of working with President Trump on several initiatives that directly benefited the people of Florida’s 12th congressional district.

He added: “President Trump is the right leader to seize this moment by building upon past accomplishments, reversing the disastrous policies of the Biden administration, and restoring America’s standing in the world.”

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Earlier in the day, Rep. Waltz also released a statement endorsing Trump.

“These last two years under Joe Biden have been disastrous for our country. Today I am proud to endorse Donald J. Trump for President,” Waltz said in a statement Thursday morning, which was shared by the Trump campaign. 

He added: “Under his leadership, President Trump secured our southern border, created seven million jobs with record-low unemployment, brought manufacturing back to the U.S., made America energy independent and affordable, brokered historic Middle East peace deals, destroyed the ISIS caliphate, launched the Space Force, took out Soleimani, gave veterans choice, and put measures in place to stop China’s march towards global dominance.”

Waltz succeeded Ron DeSantis in representing Florida’s 6th Congressional District.

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On Wednesday, Rep. Vern Buchanan also endorsed Trump. He represents the state’s 16th Congressional District.

“If we want to get our economy back on track, Donald Trump is just the guy to get it done,” Buchanan said.

DeSantis has not yet officially announced his intention to run for the presidency.

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Trump is looking to make any potential bid difficult as he continues to score key endorsements throughout the state of Florida. After moving from New York to Palm Springs, Trump calls Florida his home and their shared state has become a battleground in the 2024 election.

Trump’s endorsements in the state include Reps. Bilirakis, Waltz, Buchanan, Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna, Cory Mills, John Rutherford, and Greg Steube.

The former president also leads in a potential head-to-head with DeSantis in most polls.