Trump, DeSantis to address Republican Jewish Coalition as 2024 competition heats up.
By LIZ SIDNEY and JOHN WOODS JR.
Jan. 23, 2018, 10:05 AM
Updated Jan. 23, 2018, 1:21 PM
Washington Post / Jim Young
President Donald Trump and Florida gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott were expected to speak Friday at the annual meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) amid a crowded, hotly contested field.
At a news conference at the White House on Thursday, Trump endorsed Scott’s campaign, promising the governor “would be a great governor for the Jewish community.”
“A great governor with great people is what I feel the governor would be,” Trump said. He added: “Florida’s a great state.”
The president has repeatedly expressed support for Republican candidates running in the Jewish community’s presidential primary, including this year’s winner, his daughter, Ivanka Trump.
Trump has not said where he stood on the national Jewish Democratic party’s choice, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, who represents Minnesota’s most populous county. Ellison has been criticized for his past comments on Israel and his positions on the relationship between Jews and Muslims and Jews and Democrats.
Trump’s endorsement of Scott is a significant development not only because of the president’s close relationship with Florida’s governor, but also because Trump is running for reelection and Scott has won the governor’s office in three consecutive elections.
Trump and Scott will not only be addressing their party but also the Jewish community, a significant gathering for both groups. The RJC is known for being a social network of Republicans, regardless of party affiliation. Trump’s name will be brought up regularly throughout the evening by speakers, and he can be expected to speak on the importance of Israel and what Republicans want to see in a Republican president.
Florida Republicans have high hopes for Scott, who they see as taking the same conservative approach to solving the state’s deep-seated problems as he did when he won the governor’s office in 2010.
In an interview Friday with The Miami Herald, Sen. Marco Rubio said Scott would be a good fit for Florida and would bring a fresh perspective and
