Florida Gov. Rick Scott Wednesday praised Donald Trump's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination but did not endorse him.
"I know Donald Trump personally," Scott said in an
op-ed piece in USA Today, "and while I currently have no plans to endorse a candidate before Florida's March presidential primary, there is no doubt that Donald is a man who speaks and tweets his mind freely.
"But, I don’t think his ability to give the most interesting interviews or speeches is the only thing that has him leading in the polls," the governor added. "He is capturing the frustration of many Americans after seven years of President [Barack] Obama's very intentional government takeover of the American economy."
He slammed the Obama administration for creating so many regulations that they stifle business development and job growth saying: "Our next president cannot simply tweak our national economic policies. We need a complete overhaul."
Scott later added that "it is my hope that every Republican presidential candidate will become laser-focused on job creation, because I want our next president to be a Republican — and I want them to eliminate the regulations and taxes that are poisoning our country’s future.
"I am glad Republicans are frustrated," he said. "I am glad we are demanding a major change, because until we get serious about that, we will continue to get more of the same."
However, Scott's "almost-endorsement" was not a surprise,
The Tampa Tribune reports.
The governor has never had a strong relationship with two of Trump's Florida rivals, Sen. Marco Rubio and former Gov. Jeb Bush, according to the Tribune.
Trump also is building his operation in the Sunshine State with several Scott supporters, including former campaign manager Susie Wiles.
Trump has also donated as much as $100,000 to Scott's political committee, the
Tribune reports. Scott is eyeing a run for the U.S. Senate in 2018.
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