Trump to Hold Campaign Rally for Sen. Marco Rubio in Florida

Trump to Hold Campaign Rally for Sen. Marco Rubio in Florida
(L—R) Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and former President Donald Trump, who were then-Republican presidential candidates, chat during a commercial break in the broadcast of a presidential primary debate at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., on March 10, 2016. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Naveen Athrappully
10/27/2022
Updated:
10/27/2022

Former President Donald Trump will hold a “Get Out the Vote” rally with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Nov. 6, just two days before the midterm elections, Trump’s Save America PAC announced on Wednesday.

The Republican senator is up for reelection against his Democrat opponent, U.S. Rep. Val Demings.

“President Trump delivered a historic red wave for Florida in the 2018 midterms with his slate of endorsed candidates up and down the ballot and molded the Sunshine State into the MAGA stronghold it is today,” the news release said. “Thanks to President Trump, Florida is no longer a purple state; it’s an America First Red State.”

Trump threw his support behind Rubio in April, saying the senator would “never let the people of Florida or this country down.”

The two were rivals during the 2016 presidential election but eventually became allies. Trump praised Rubio for his work as chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, where Rubio presided over an investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Polls are showing Rubio with a lead over Demings. A survey from Florida Atlantic University’s Business and Economics Polling Initiative showed Rubio garnering the support of 48 percent of registered voters, with Demings only getting 42 percent support.
A poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy shows Rubio with a 6-point lead over Demings, Politico reported. Rubio was pulling in 45 percent support from Hispanic voters, 41 percent from female voters, and 53 percent from voters aged 50 and older.

Trump and DeSantis

The Save America PAC press release didn’t mention whether Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis would attend the Nov. 6 rally.

There has been widespread speculation that Trump and DeSantis are each considering a 2024 presidential run. Multiple polls show Trump being the most popular GOP candidate for president, with DeSantis usually the second most popular choice.

A Harvard-Harris poll conducted in July (pdf) found that 52 percent of Republicans said they would vote for Trump in the 2024 GOP primary if the elections were held at that time. DeSantis got 19 percent.

Trump will also be holding rallies in Pennsylvania and Iowa to support GOP candidates in those states for the upcoming midterms.

Trump will visit Iowa on Nov. 3 to stump for Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Chuck Grassley. Two days later on Nov. 5, he will be in Pennsylvania to support Republican gubernatorial nominee state Sen. Doug Mastriano and Senate hopeful Mehmet Oz.

Masooma Haq contributed to this report.