(Bloomberg) -- Six Florida politicians defected from Governor Ron DeSantis to endorse former President Donald Trump at a rare gathering that brought the GOP frontrunner together with his rivals for the nomination.
“It's time for the Republican establishment to stop wasting time and money trying to push your weak ‘RINOs' and ‘Never Trumpers' that nobody wants on the ballot,” Trump said to a raucous crowd Saturday at the Florida Freedom Summit, held near Orlando by the state's Republican party. He was referring to GOP members who oppose him and whom he calls ‘Republicans in Name Only.”
While the candidates didn't appear on stage with him, Trump used the occasion to court Florida Republicans who form a key part of DeSantis's base, electing him to the governor's mansion twice and propelling him into the national spotlight.
Trump made another indirect swipe at DeSantis, telling the crowd how Republican governors from South Carolina, South Dakota and Tennessee did a “good job” keeping the states open during the Covid pandemic — a point that DeSantis has frequently credited himself for while on the campaign trail.
Read more: DeSantis Seeks to Capitalize on Home Turf at Pre-Debate Event
Florida is a home to both Trump and DeSantis, but they converged at the summit with their campaigns moving in starkly different directions.
Trump holds a wide lead over the rest of the field and is seeking to deliver a knockout blow in Iowa, where voters will caucus in two months. DeSantis, who entered the race as the top challenger to Trump, has slipped in the polls and now is trying to fend off former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who is surging after standout performances in the first debates.
The new endorsements added to threats DeSantis faces on his home turf. Trump recently hosted fundraisers at his Mar-a-Lago club, including one that brought in more than $5 million in a single night, according to a person familiar with the event who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Trump's team made calls ahead of the Florida summit and debate to convince state legislators and local officials who are backing DeSantis to switch to Trump, according to Miami-Dade Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera, a campaign surrogate for the former president.
The team expects as many as 10 Florida politicians to flip in the coming days, according to a person involved with the efforts who requested anonymity to discuss the plans.
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