MAGA Momentum & Times Are Changing in Florida Too – Top 3 Takeaways – January 17th, 2025
- Momentum. There’s so much to feel good about and not just because it’s Friday. While I’ve generally had a great feeling since Election Day, and mostly just comfort in knowing that this country knew enough to course correct before we let what made this country great get away... This week has done so much to make me even more excited about what’s about to come. There’s nothing like a great game plan executed perfectly and that’s exactly what we’ve seen from President-elect Trump and his team. I’ve often said that the key to President Trump being able to achieve what it is he wants to achieve is unity. This week that’s exactly what we’ve seen. Unlike eight years ago when, despite Republicans having had congressional majorities, it took Trump almost his first 100 days in office (97) just to get his cabinet into place, what we’ve seen this week is just the opposite. We’ve had super successful senate hearings for most (13) of Trump’s cabinet nominees with only eight more to go. Democrats no matter how hard they tried couldn’t make anything stick against any of Trump’s picks, most notably Pete Hegseth, whom many Republicans were skeptical of until his hearing this week. Every one of them is set to be confirmed once Trump is sworn in next week. That’s momentum. Eight years ago, President Trump’s MAGA legislative agenda was slow out of the gate because congressional Republicans hadn’t planned on him becoming president of the United States. As a result, he didn’t have his first major legislative win, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, until his administration was 11 months in. This time around President Trump is on track to have his first major legislative win, the Laken Riley Act, within his first 11 days as it cleared additional Senate votes this week to fast track it for formal debate. That’s momentum. Eight years ago, when Donald Trump took the oath of office his approval rating was 43%. Today – it's 52%...meaning that even a few percent of people who voted for Kamala Harris just a few months ago have recently been won over by Trump. That’s momentum. After enduring 15 months of a living hell under Hamas, the release of Israeli and US hostages set to commence Sunday after Donald Trump told Hamas there would be “hell to pay” if they didn’t...that’s Reaganesque momentum. Eight years ago, MAGA was a movement that lacked unity and infrastructure in D.C.. Heading into Monday’s Inauguration Day, it’s a united movement positioned to succeed with record setting speed for an incoming administration. Get ready for the ride. And speaking of momentum...
- It all started in Florida. For the better part of twenty years, I said that one day South Florida would save this country from itself. That’s literally turned out to be the case with Donald Trump as president of the United States. But it’s also proved true for turning Florida into our country’s greatest state. In some ways it’s easy to take for granted the quality of our state’s top elected officials, however it’s possible that what we’ve experienced in recent years is the greatest representation of any state in the nation...ever. Governor: Ron DeSantis. Senators Marco Rubio & Rick Scott. Attorney General Ashley Moody. CFO Jimmy Patronis. Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. California has the problems it has because their state is a reflection of who they’ve voted for. Florida continues to excel because it’s a reflection of who we’ve voted for. With the incoming Trump administration times aren’t just changing in Washington...
- Times are changing in Florida. With Senator Rubio’s rise to Secretary of State, on Thursday Governor DeSantis announced that it would be Florida’s AG Ashley Moody who’d be taking his senate seat. As DeSantis said: Florida deserves a senator who stands unapologetically for conservative principles, supports law enforcement, has a strong record of combatting illegal immigration, and is ready to deliver on President Trump's agenda. Attorney General Ashley Moody's exemplary track record shows her commitment to these principles. A fifth-generation Floridian, she has served the people of Florida honorably as a prosecutor, judge, and Attorney General. I look forward to seeing Senator Moody fight the good fight against the entrenched interests in Washington, and I know she will be a critical part of bringing President Trump's America First agenda to fruition. Ashley is the perfect choice, and the person I mentioned last week was the likely choice. Florida will be exceptionally well served in the senate with her at the helm. But what the pick also suggests is that the next move by Governor DeSantis is another run for president in 2028. As governor of Florida, there is only one other office aside from the presidency, where he might consider a run, and that would be U.S. Senate, just as Rick Scott has done. But if DeSantis had designs on running for Rubio’s vacated senate seat, he would have appointed someone who wouldn’t be motivated to remain in that seat, a la what Charlie Crist did by naming his Chief of Staff, George LeMieux in 2009. Moody is only 49 and who has already won two statewide elections is likely to seek to retain the seat. The move of Moody to the senate also has other political implications. Moody, who like DeSantis and Jimmy Patronis, was also term limited in her current office, was considered a likely leading gubernatorial candidate next year. With Moody likely not in that race it’s now especially wide open. Congressman Byron Donalds is rumored to have a strong interest in making the move from Washington D.C. to Tallahassee just as DeSantis had done. There’s a strong chance Lt. Governor Jeanette Nunez may make a run, and the rumblings that Matt Gaetz will too. Two of those three are good choices. Also, who will seek to replace Ashley Moody as Florida’s AG? DeSantis named his chief of staff James Uthmeier to serve out Moody’s term in the post. As more of Florida’s leaders are set to become our nation’s leaders, it’s also now set in motion the next big moves for the next generation of Florida’s leaders. The future for our country and for Florida starts now (technically Monday).