Donald Trump hailed as 'hometown president' in Florida as state Republicans welcome his political activities
Former president Donald Trump is getting a warm welcome in Florida, and has even been dubbed as their 'hometown president'. The president, who relocated to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, has already established an official post-presidency office to oversee his affairs. He recently met with House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, just nine days after leaving the White House, according to Fox News. Florida Republicans are thrilled with this turn of events and say the party will be "fueled by Trump moving forward". "When he wants to have an event, we would build an event around him," Christian Ziegler, vice chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, told the Orlando Sentinel. "If he wants to make any visits around the state, we will facilitate. It is his party." He added: "He is our hometown president."
This comment from Ziegler comes just after Trump met with McCarthy, R-Calif., at Mar-a-Lago, where the two agreed to work together on Republicans taking back the House in 2024. Meanwhile, Palm Beach County Republican Party Chairman Michael Barnett told the Sentinel that hundreds of Republican Party members will be attending the Palm Beach County GOP’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner at Mar-a-Lago in April. Barnett told the Sentinel he hopes Trump will attend.
"If he is available, I hope he comes down from the residence, says hi and speaks a little bit," Barnett told The Sentinel.
McCarthy, who had held Trump responsible for the Capitol riots, met with Trump in Florida for a "very good and cordial" meeting where McCarthy acknowledged Trump's support in promoting GOP House candidates in the next election, according to a readout from Trump's team. "President Trump has agreed to work with Leader McCarthy on helping the Republican Party to become a majority in the House," according to a statement from Trump-aligned Save America PAC. "They worked very well together in the last election and picked up at least 15 seats when most predicted it would be the opposite. They will do so again, and the work has already started." McCarthy appreciated Trump's dedication to help elect Republicans in the House and Senate.
"For the sake of our country, the radical Democrat agenda must be stopped," McCarthy said in a statement. "A united conservative movement will strengthen the bonds of our citizens and uphold the freedoms our country was founded on." An insider told Fox News that the meeting was crucial, in order to move the GOP forward. "They are catching up as McCarthy will be in the neighborhood," the insider told Fox News. "They’ve been on good terms for a while, and that will be important for the party moving forward."
The Palm Beach confab was organized after Trump's team heard the GOP leader was raising funds in Florida, which was part of his drive to replace Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker after the 2022 elections. Trump's team invited McCarthy to Mar-a-Lago and McCarthy rearranged his schedule to attend, according to Fox News. Trump has been out of the spotlight ever since the Capitol riots, his subsequent impeachment and being removed from social media platforms.
Trump's impeachment trial will begin in the Senate the week of February 8. Meanwhile, a statement from Trump’s office said the Office of the Former President will be responsible for his "correspondence, public statements, appearances, and official activities". "The Office will also advance the interests of the United States and… carry on the agenda of the Trump Administration through advocacy, organizing, and public activism." There is much speculation about Trump's post-presidency activities, which range from him starting his media company to running for a second term in 2024.
Trump’s 2020 campaign senior adviser Jason Miller on Sunday has discarded the possibility of Trump running in future elections on a third-party ticket, saying that his immediate focus is to help Republicans win back the House and Senate in the 2022 midterms.