Trump lashes out as Florida GOP candidates seek distance

descriptions off, selected

captions settings, opens captions settings dialog

Subtitles (en), selected

This is a modal window.

Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

End of dialog window.

Latest midterm polling shows Democrats with increasing chances of flipping House, Senate

Latest midterm polling shows Democrats with increasing chances of flipping House, Senate

▪ Trump’s frustration grows in Florida 

▪ Senate’s last week in town 

▪ Possible terrorist attack prevented 

▪ The administration’s ‘magic’ words

Thank you for signing up!

Subscribe to more newsletters here

President Trump fumed online over the weekend as Republicans face warning signs in Florida, going after a key ally who broke with him on immigration and brushing off the idea that another is trying to keep him at arm’s length.

Once a key battleground, the Sunshine State has increasingly shifted red since Trump’s first term. With an expected favorable midterm environment, Democrats are hoping they may be able to pick off a few House seats and even have a shot at winning statewide for the first time in years.

One of those potentially vulnerable House Republicans is Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (Fla.), who released an ad earlier this month accusing Trump of “going too far” in his immigration crackdown. She said the Hispanic voters who helped him get elected in 2024 “feel betrayed today.”

Salazar said last week that the president was “very receptive” to her warning about Hispanic voters and was a “gentleman” about it. But he seemingly changed his tune Saturday, reposting several other Truth Social users who criticized Salazar and suggested Trump shouldn’t support her anymore.

“She is nothing but a back stabber,” a post from one user read.

“Primary her in two years and see how she likes to keep criticising Trump then,” another reposted comment read.

Trump also reposted a Washington Post story detailing how Salazar is receiving backlash from some of her constituents who are frustrated with her for breaking with the president.

While few Republicans have been so strident in their breaks with Trump, Salazar is among a growing group within the president’s party seeking more distance from the White House in anticipation of a rough midterm election in November.

Salazar’s fellow Florida House Republican, Rep. Byron Donalds, who is running for governor, raised eyebrows after a few references to Trump were removed from his website.

The old layout of the website highlighted Trump’s endorsement of Donalds in a top banner, while the new one only shows his endorsement along with the ones that Donalds received from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and others.

A Donalds campaign spokesperson said the congressman is still proud to have the president’s support and is focusing on the issues that matter most to Floridians. Donalds called Trump’s agenda “common sense” shortly after the website change when questioned about it.

Trump, in another post over the weekend, accused media outlets of reporting “Another Fake Story.”

“If Florida thought the story that Byron ‘dropped’ me was true, he would lose the Election, and that would be a terrible thing because he’s going to be a fantastic Governor!” he wrote on Truth Social.

Donalds and Salazar are trying to fend off Democratic opponents who are seeking to pull off what seemed to be longshot victories.

Salazar represents a district that has been solidly Republican for years, but two elections forecasters have shifted her district’s rating from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican” in the past week.

Democrats are now eyeing a handful of potential flip opportunities in Florida, despite Republicans redrawing the state’s congressional map earlier this year to favor themselves.

Some mixed polling has also suggested the Florida gubernatorial race, in which Donalds is facing former Rep. David Jolly, a Republican-turned-Democrat, could be more competitive than originally expected.

Decision Desk HQ even shifted its rating........

© The Hill