Trump Triumphs In Florida Showdown: Can DeSantis Get A Grip?

The Republican Party of Florida's executive board, under pressure from Trump supporters, voted to remove a provision in its bylaws that required candidates to sign a pledge of loyalty to the eventual GOP nominee in order to be on the presidential primary ballot.

The meeting, held in Orlando, Florida, was described as contentious by sources familiar with the gathering. The pledge had been adopted quietly in May, and DeSantis supporters, including state House Speaker Paul Renner, urged the board members to keep it.

State Sen. Joe Gruters, a former Florida GOP chairman and a prominent Trump supporter, motioned to drop the pledge, arguing that the rules should not have been changed less than a year before the primary.

During the meeting, Polk County GOP member Ed Shoemaker warned that "people will be pissed if we keep Trump off the ballot," according to reports.

September 16, 2023

The vote not only demonstrated Trump's influence in his adopted home state but also indicated that DeSantis' control over the Florida state party may be waning.

Neither Trump nor DeSantis attended the meeting, as they were both delivering speeches in Washington D.C. at the Family Research Council's annual Pray, Vote, Stand conference.

DeSantis campaign press secretary Bryan Griffin stated that "anyone who wants to run for President as a Republican should be willing to pledge their support for our eventual nominee." Trump's campaign did not immediately comment on the vote.

The pledge in Florida that was eliminated is similar to the one mandated by the Republican National Committee (RNC) for GOP presidential candidates to participate in the presidential nomination debate. Trump refused to sign the RNC's pledge, skipped the first debate, and is likely to skip the second one as well.

Trump, who is running for the White House for the third time, remains the frontrunner over DeSantis and other contenders in the race for the party's 2024 nomination.