Trump Endorses Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz

Former President Donald Trump on Aug. 20 endorsed Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who is seeking his fourth term in Congress.

“@RepMattGaetz is a relentless Fighter for the incredible people of Florida’s 1st Congressional District!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“Matt is a Champion of our MAGA Agenda, who tirelessly works to Drain the Swamp, Secure the Border, Support our Brave Veterans and Law Enforcement, Defend the Second Amendment, Stand Up to the Woke Mob, and Fight the Never-Ending Witch Hunts from the Radical Left that are destroying our Country!” Trump added.

The former president ended his post by saying, “Matt Gaetz puts America First, and he has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”

Florida voters will head to the polls on Aug. 23 to choose their Democratic and Republican candidates for the November general elections. Incumbent Gaetz will face two GOP challengers—Mark Lombardo, a Marine veteran and former FedEx executive, and Greg Merk, a retired military officer and pilot.

Merk lost to Gaetz in Florida’s 2020 GOP primary, finishing a distant third with 9.5 percent of the vote to Gaetz’s 80.9 percent.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) questions witnesses at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump in Washington on Dec. 4, 2019. (Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

In early August, Gaetz told NTD’s “Capitol Report” program that he foresaw the Republicans taking back the House in November.

“We’re going to win. But I don’t want to win by default or dissolution. I want to win with a mandate to actually win battles for our people again,” Gaetz said. “So many Americans right now feel beat down and beleaguered by the spending with our government that’s caused inflation, the vaccine mandates, tyrannical lockdowns, a border that we’ve just allowed to convert into a turnstile.”