Trump to reemerge in Florida

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Good morning and welcome to Tuesday.

During the last 12 days, former President Donald Trump has been mostly lying low as a mutiny unfolds within the Democratic Party after President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance.

But that’s all about to change tonight, when Trump is set to take center stage at a rally at his Doral, Florida, golf course. The event is also serving as a fundraiser, where $25,000 gets donors a photo with Trump, prime seating, a Trump 47 hat and expedited entry, per a flier obtained by Playbook.

After a period of golfing in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump is returning to his adopted home state amid a winning streak where he’s ahead in the polls and able to further delay court cases against him following Supreme Court rulings in his favor. It also comes just weeks after Biden’s top campaign official denied Florida was a battleground.

One of the biggest questions that’s left — one that could whiplash the news cycle back to Trump — is who he might select as running mate. Veep shortlister Sen. Marco Rubio is set to speak at the Doral rally, and the buzz on the ground is sure to be all about him given that Trump has said he’ll announce his choice near or during the Republican National Convention, which starts in Milwaukee next week. Rubio had to cancel a planned speech tonight at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington to be able to attend the Doral rally.

In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity last night, Trump raised the Democratic turmoil in describing how he was thinking about his running mate. “We wanted to see what they’re doing, to be honest, because it might make a difference,” he said, alluding to how changes in the Democratic ticket might shake up the race. He added that what he was looking for in making his selection was a “person that can do a fantastic job as president” and “somebody that helps you get elected.”

Though Trump had a rally in Virginia after the debate and has been taking to Truth Social to rant about journalists and taunt Biden to stay in the race, he was otherwise (relatively) quiet in the last week. That’s uncharacteristic for the former president, but his allies said it made sense lest he shift the news cycle (and the Biden campaign’s attention) away from Democrats’ internal turmoil.

“Everything’s just falling apart on the Democratic side … Why would you want to stop the destruction? Let them self-destruct,” Miami Commissioner Kevin Cabrera, who was Trump’s 2020 Florida director, told Playbook — despite admitting he very much wanted Trump to pick Rubio and to announce it at the rally tonight.

The outdoor event is going to be a scorcher. The doors open at 2 p.m. but Trump isn’t scheduled to take the stage until 7 p.m. Temperatures are expected to be in the low 90s, though the “feels like” weather will be in the triple digits due to the humidity. And — because it’s South Florida in the summer — there’s always the chance of a heavy downpour at any time. The event is free to the public but requires phone verification.

“Florida is still his home,” Cabrera, who’s expected to speak tonight, said of why he thought Trump picked Doral for his latest stop. “It’s important to the president as he marches toward the convention. It’s important you don’t forget your home state — and the Hispanic vote, which is huge. The question is really: Why not?”

A PEEK AT THE GUEST LIST … Besides Rubio, other confirmed RSVPs for the Doral rally include Sen. Rick Scott, Rep. Carlos Giménez and Carlos Trujillo, a lobbyist who was ambassador to the Organization of American States under Trump.

Other attendees include state elected officials who supported Trump in the primary over Gov. Ron DeSantis — those who called themselves “superheroes” on a text chain viewed by Playbook. They are state Reps. Randy Fine, Juan Carlos Porras, Alina Garcia and Kevin Steele. Florida Speaker designate Danny Perez, who backed DeSantis in the primary, is also slated to attend.

COMING UP: Playbook will be on the ground at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Send tips to [email protected] about Florida-focused get togethers, speaking slots and anything else of interest to our readers.

... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...


LIMBO — “Florida budget analysts clash over cost of abortion-rights ballot initiative,” reports POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian. “A conference of state budget analysts who were tasked with assessing the cost of a ballot initiative seeking to abolish Florida’s ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy are seemingly at an impasse. The Financial Impact Estimating Conference ended its second meeting on Monday with two major issues unaddressed and the lingering potential of giving up by simply agreeing to disagree.”

AMENDMENT 4 — “DeSantis, Florida House pay outsiders to influence financial statement on abortion measure,” reports Ana Goñi-Lessan of USA Today Network — Florida. “State officials are collectively paying anti-abortion advocates hundreds of dollars an hour to represent their interests on an obscure government panel in the battle over November’s abortion ballot measure. It’s another loud-and-clear move that Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida House of Representatives leadership are serious about defeating Amendment 4, the constitutional amendment aimed at ensuring abortion access in the state.”

SETTLEMENT — “Groups reach deal in fertilizer waste site cleanup,” reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. “Environmental groups have reached an agreement with state officials to settle a federal lawsuit filed in 2021 following polluted discharges from a fertilizer plant waste site along Tampa Bay. The Center for Biological Diversity and other groups on Monday filed the settlement agreement in U.S. District Court in Tampa. The groups agreed to dismiss their lawsuit after the state issues a cleanup permit to Herb Donica, an attorney appointed by the court to oversee the site. The settlement also requires the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to pay the Tampa Bay Estuary Program $75,000 to monitor water quality around the Piney Point waste site.”

— “Duke Energy, Public Counsel say they’ve settled rate hike dispute,” reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie.

POLICY SIDE EFFECTS — “Florida records drop in doctor residency applicants post-Roe v. Wade,” reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Sam Ogozalek. “In the two residency application cycles following the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, states with near-total abortion bans saw larger year-over-year declines in residency applicants compared to states where the procedure is legal — and states with gestational limits, such as Florida, saw a greater decrease in applicants compared to legal states during the second cycle but not the first, according to an analysis by researchers at the nonprofit Association of American Medical Colleges.”

ENCOURAGING SIGNS — “Last year’s heat was deadly for Florida corals. Scientists hope this year will be different,” by the Miami Herald’s Claire Grunewald. “Last year’s historic marine heat wave turned Florida’s coral reefs into bleached boneyards. And with temperatures rising this summer, scientists worried 2024 could be a repeat disaster for the fragile underwater ecosystems. But the latest data show that lower-than-expected temperatures and recent storms may give Florida’s reefs a fighting chance this summer.”

— “Sex? Grandstanding? Arts leaders, experts examine why DeSantis cut funds — and prep for future,” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Matthew J. Palm.

— “DeSantis ends 50 years of ethics oversight by hobbling state and local investigators,” reports Noreen Marcus of the Florida Bulldog.

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

NEW REGS — “In a reversal, Cuban authorities impose price caps on food despite warning of shortages,” by Nora Gámez Torres of the Miami Herald. “The Cuban government has imposed price caps on some imported food despite initially signaling it was willing to hold off after private business owners warned the measure would force them to stop importing chicken, powdered milk and other essentials, increasing the public risk of hunger.”

TRANSPORTATION HURDLE — “Some Central Florida governments feel ‘sticker shock’ at SunRail’s future costs,” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Martin E. Comas. “When SunRail trains first started rolling down tracks just over a decade ago, it was agreed the state would pay the bills for several years — but local governments along the route would eventually pick up the tab. Four counties and three cities — Osceola, Orange, Seminole, Volusia, Orlando, Winter Park and Maitland — are now preparing to take over operating and maintaining the 61-mile commuter rail line from the Florida Department of Transportation. And some local officials are experiencing sticker shock as bills come due in January.”

MEDIA RIGHTS — “Leon County judge orders ACC to give Florida State University confidential ESPN agreements,” reports Liam Rooney of the Tallahassee Democrat. “The Atlantic Coast Conference has been ordered to give Florida State University’s legal team a copy of the highly confidential ESPN agreements as the battle between the conference and the school continues in Leon County. In a July 2 court order by Leon Circuit Judge John C. Cooper, the ACC must hand over a redacted version of the sought-after ESPN agreement to FSU within seven days of the order.”

CAMPAIGN MODE

COUNTER PROGRAMMING — Florida Democrats are holding a press conference this morning about Trump’s Doral rally.

BIDEN BACKING? — Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, the former Democratic member of Congress challenging Sen. Rick Scott this year, did not give a definitive answer Monday on whether Biden should drop his re-election bid following his disastrous debate late last month.

Some Florida Democrats such as Rep. Frederica Wilson have come out strongly in defense of Biden as he forcefully pushes back against any talk of him leaving the race.

Following a Tallahassee campaign event to discuss reproductive rights, Mucarsel-Powell said: “We all saw what we saw on that debate stage. And it really raised concerns for a lot of people. But it’s up to the president to make the case for the American people that he can lead in the next four years. And he’s doing that currently, and I’m watching as him and his campaign make that case.”

When asked if that was a yes or no, Mucarsel-Powell said: “I think that we still have four months … and I’m watching to see what happens. It’s really important for us to make sure that we win this election in November because so much is at stake. And a lot of what I’ve been doing is completely separate from the top of the ticket.”

Scott, who is seeking a second term in the Senate, has been a persistent critic of Biden who has called on him repeatedly to resign. He posted on social media last week that Biden should be removed from office under the terms of the 25th Amendment, which sets out a process that allows for the vice president to succeed the president if the president is unable to perform the duties of the office.

— Gary Fineout

ENDORSEMENT — The Libertarian Party of Florida just endorsed Amendment 3 to support the legalization of recreational cannabis, saying it affirmed its “commitment to personal liberty and the right to make decisions free from government interference.”

“We are proud to have support from all sides, transcending partisan politics — all affirming that our campaign to create a safer Florida is universally the best path forward for all Floridians,” said Morgan Hill, spokesperson for Smart & Safe Florida.

— “In Tampa, Jill Biden says Joe Biden’s ‘all in’ to continue his candidacy, so she is too,” by Mitch Perry of the Florida Phoenix.

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

MAR-A-LAGO DOCS CASE — “Judge declines to throw out charges against Trump valet in classified documents case,” reports The Associated Press. “The federal judge presiding over the classified documents case against Donald Trump refused Saturday to throw out charges against a co-defendant of the former president. Lawyers for Walt Nauta, Trump’s personal valet, had asked U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to dismiss the indictment against their client. They argued, among other things, that Nauta was charged because of insufficient cooperation with prosecutors’ investigation and because of a personal animus that they say prosecutors harbored against one of Nauta’s attorneys.”

DATELINE D.C.

DEADLINE AHEAD — “Florida officials urged not to pass up millions in food assistance again,” reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Jeffrey Schweers. “While it’s too late for Florida to change course in time to affect kids this summer [and accept millions of dollars in new federal food assistance money], 185 groups that seek to end hunger recently sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state leaders urging Florida to apply for the money by the Aug. 15 deadline for 2025.”

— “Ashley Moody agitated over Joe Biden ‘weaseling’ his way into washing machine regs,” by Florida Politics A.G. Gancarski.

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

BIRTHDAYS: Former state Rep. Matt Hudson … April Salter, CEO and founder of SalterMitchell … Bob Sparks, former spokesperson for the Republican Party of Florida … Danny Diaz, a founding and managing partner at FP1 Strategies.