Eyes on 2024: Florida man takes a side

Former President Donald Trump picked up another endorsement from a Florida lawmaker — this time from GOP Sen. Rick Scott, who is running for re-election next year. 

“I think we all should come together and do everything we can to help him win the nomination so we can beat Biden,” Scott told NBC’s Matt Dixon in his first interview since announcing the endorsement. 

Scott is the 12th senator and the 13th member of Florida’s congressional delegation to endorse Trump over Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis. Just Florida GOP Rep. Laurel Lee, who also served in DeSantis’ administration, has backed the governor’s presidential campaign. 

Scott, a former governor himself, told Dixon that DeSantis never actually asked Scott for his endorsement, and he had not spoken to DeSantis since discussing a hurricane in August. 

Trump has the most congressional endorsements of any presidential candidate by far, with around 70 House members backing Trump in addition to the 13 senators. DeSantis has the next highest number of congressional backers, with five endorsing his campaign. 

In other campaign news … 

Turning up the heat: President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign is planning to tie GOP presidential hopefuls to “MAGA extremism” during next week’s debate, launching billboards around Trump’s rally in Florida as part of the effort, NBC’s Monica Alba reports. In a new memo, the Biden campaign also lays out a re-election strategy similar to Biden’s 2020 race, per the Associated Press.

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On the sidelines: The AP explores former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s rise in the GOP primary, and why some influential Republican donors have stayed on the sidelines despite wanting the party to move beyond Trump. 

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA sluggish Congress punts a long list of tasks until after the election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSIt’s rarely been harder for people to find new jobs

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Some of the medication has worn off’: Witness recalls failed Tennessee execution of Christa Pike

FOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Couldn’t let all of them die’: Hero Indian pilot attacked midair speaks for first time

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSJudge guts noncitizen voting law used in Trump administration’s election push

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe prosecutor at the center of the Cornell maelstrom

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

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On the airwaves: Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy announced Thursday that his presidential campaign is launching an “eight figure” advertising effort in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Trump trials: Special Counsel Jack Smith wrote in a court filing on Thursday that Trump is trying to delay his criminal cases “at any cost.” In the federal election interference case, Trump’s attorneys asked an appeals court to lift the partial gag order on the former president.

Frustrations come to a boil: A spokesperson for Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., sparked backlash on Thursday after privately suggesting primary challenges against GOP lawmakers who help sidestep Tuberville’s blockade of military promotions, per NBC’s Frank Thorp V, Sahil Kapur, Julie Tsirkin and Lori Rampani.

Looming primary challenge: A PAC funded largely by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman may launch primary campaigns against Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich, and Cori Bush, D-Mo., CNBC reports.