Rick Scott demurred this week when asked if he'd say yes to being Donald Trump's vice presidential pick.
"I’m focused on this job. I’ve got three more years in this job," the Florida governor told reporters in his Capitol office,
the Tallahassee Democrat reported Wednesday.
"I’ve been very clear the things that are important to me, the things that we’ve done here. I think we need to have a president who has a very specific plan on how we’re going to get jobs going in this country, just as we’ve done in Florida . . . somebody who’s going to be absolutely focused on destroying ISIS."
Scott, who like Trump had no prior political experience before running for public office, has been on many pundits' VP shortlist since Trump announced his presidential campaign. As the governor of an important swing state, he's a natural fit, but some say Trump already has plenty of ties to Florida, and would be better served by nominating the governor of another important swing state, like Ohio, for example.
Scott drew even more attention to himself in January,
when he penned an op-ed in USA Today praising Trump. The article, written long before a single caucus or primary vote was cast in any state, stopped just shy of an endorsement, but made it clear Scott is a big fan of the billionaire.
"I won the governor’s race in 2010 and many outsiders — some of them business people — continue to shock the political establishment by coming into elected office from careers outside of politics," he wrote at the time.
"Attorney Chris Christie was elected governor of New Jersey in 2009; manufacturer Ron Johnson was elected senator of Wisconsin in 2010; businessman Bruce Rauner won the governor’s race in Illinois in 2014; and businessman Matt Bevin won the governorship of Kentucky just a few months ago. Voters have been choosing new ideas and new energy over the old formula of sheer time served in political office."
On Tuesday, Scott got yet another boost
from The Washington Post when the newspaper listed the Florida governor alongside Carly Fiorina, former Gov. Sarah Palin, and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as possible VP picks for Trump.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.