HIALEAH, Fla. (CN) — Former President Donald Trump rallied a few thousand supporters on Wednesday, mere miles from his Republican nominee opponents debating at an events center in Miami.
After taking the stage at Ted Hendricks Stadium in Hialeah, the 45th president wasted no time ripping into his fellow Republicans, who trail him by double digits in nationwide polls — especially Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a former acolyte.
“He did well because I endorsed him,” Trump said. “He was god.”
Then, Trump assailed him with his familiar epithet: “Ron Sanctimonious … That’s good branding.”
Indeed, a poll released this week by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab showed 60% of likely voters choose Trump for the Republican nominee, with DeSantis garnering 40 points less.
“Despite historically high approval in the polls, Governor DeSantis losing steam in his home state doesn’t bode well for his national campaign,” said Michael Binder, professor of political science. “Even if you wipe out the rest of the competition in a head-to-head, Trump leads DeSantis by 20 points.”
This was not lost on rally goers, many of whom are disillusioned with DeSantis.
“I will never vote for him for governor again,” said Kristen Thomas from Jacksonville. “He is traveling around the country and not here. He could care less about people living in Florida, who are without home insurance and everything else that is so high.”
Like many of Trump’s recent rallies in Iowa and other battleground states, the former president latched onto familiar themes: illegal immigration, questioning election results and attacking the news media.
“Rigging and cheating an election and using the fake news media to cover up their colossal incompetence and stupidity … what they have done to our country, nobody can even believe it,” he said.
But the former president also focused on his audience in Hialeah, a city bordering Miami that is more than 96% Hispanic. Trump’s choice of venue reflects not just his disdain for participating in any Republican primary debate, but also his popularity in the Hispanic community of South Florida, historically a Democratic stronghold. Earlier this week, the mayor of Hialeah, told Reuters he would move to make a street named after Trump.
Many attendees expressed the same judgment about why they support the former president: the economy.
“A Democratic president said 30 years ago — it’s the economy stupid,” said Phil Colwell, 38, who runs a roving merchandise cart down Palm Avenue, the main drag near the stadium, selling hats and shirts. He said sales are constant, though this is one of the smallest venues he has been to.
“You don’t have to be pro-Trump,” he said, while an elderly lady asked about the price of a MAGA hat. “You just can’t be pro-Biden.”
Christopher Shear, a trucker, put it succinctly on what he hopes for a Trump presidency: “I want my gas tank filled and my grocery cart full.”
Trump is facing a series of indictments, which didn’t faze Shear.
“As soon as the government did the indictments, we knew he would win,” the New Jersey transplant said.
Counter-protesters did not show up to this latest Trump rally, a rarity in some of his rallies in large metropolitan areas of Florida. But that does not mean everyone attending had their minds made up before Florida’s primary in February.
“We live nearby so we came,” said Shane Matteo, 32. “We’re looking for information.”
Matteo, along with his girlfriend Shannon Richards, expressed what several other attendees said: “I have not made up my mind, but I’m definitely not for the sitting president.”
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