FL GOP chair touts Trump as the ‘economic heavyweight champion of the world’

Florida Republican Party Chairman Joe Gruters endorsed President Donald Trump Monday at the 2020 Republican National Convention, touting Trump with a title as the “economic heavyweight champion of the world.”

Gruters, who is also a state senator representing Sarasota and part of Charlotte County, praised the Trump administration for delivering “record low unemployment” for African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, women and for those without college degrees.

“Under President Trump’s watch, excessive regulations that once stifled job growth, have been eliminated. Jobs that have once been shipped overseas, are returning to our shores,” Gruters said.

“I am Joe Gruters, chairman from the great state of Florida, which is not only the most politically important state of the country, it’s also home to the 45th president of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump.”

Kicking off the GOP convention, Republican delegates representing various states gathered in-person in Charlotte to officially re-nominate President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence during the roll call.

Pence also took the stage to accept his nomination and gave praise to Trump as well.

“I am here for one reason, and one reason only. And that is not just for the Republican party but America needs four more years of President Donald Trump in the White House,” Pence said.

“The choice in this election has never been clearer and the stakes never been higher.”

Pence said the Republican party’s agenda is for lower taxes and “backing the blue,” while Biden’s plan is to raise taxes.

“When we reelect President Donald Trump that means more jobs, more judges, more support for our troops and our cops. And it’s at least going to take four more years to drain that swamp,” Pence said.

“He isn’t defunding the police, he is defending the police,” Gruters said of Trump in his brief speech.

Crowds in the arena chanted “back the blue” and “four more years” as Trump took the stage after his official renomination for the 2020 GOP ticket, to deliver a surprise speech lasting more than 30 minutes.

Trump touched on a variety of topics during his speech, such as his optimism for an economic recovery, if reelected, and continued rhetoric about how mail-in voting will provoke fraud in this year’s election.

He also verbally attacked his political opponent Joe Biden, using terms such as “sleepy Joe,” and other leaders in the Democratic party, alleging that Democrats used the COVID-19 pandemic to “to steal the election.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida held a press call on Monday to also endorse Trump for “four more years” and what that means for Florida.

He said that he thinks the Republican convention will cover important issues in Florida such as “good jobs and good education,” adding that Democrats support “socialism” and higher taxes.

“I think this week is going to be exciting, I think we’re going to get to see the real contrast,” Scott said. “I think what we will hear out of Republicans and Donald Trump is a conversation about freedom, democracy, and the opportunity to live the dream in this country.”

“Joe Biden is a nice enough guy but he’s clearly a puppet for the left. He’s somebody who has been in politics for 50 years, and so if he hasn’t accomplished it now, I don’t know what new ideas he’s going to come up with.”

In response to a reporters question about Trump’s remarks during his speech about mail-in voting leading to fraud in the upcoming election, Scott said that “mail-in voting works in Florida” and “it gives people an additional venue and way to vote.”

Scott added that he hadn’t seen Trump’s speech Monday and that Florida has a better mail-in voting system with “clear deadlines” compared to other states. “I hope if they’re [other states] going to do it, they do it the way Florida does around the country,” he said.