Florida was the center of national politics Tuesday night when U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis received an in-person endorsement from President Donald Trump at a rally in Tampa.
The president appeared at the Florida State Fairgrounds to support DeSantis in his run against Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the state's Aug. 28 Republican primary.
It’s unusual for a president to get involved in a primary election -- pitting members of the same party against each other.
But Trump doesn’t conform to “the usual," and his campaign manager in Florida two years ago said his endorsement changes the race.
"Normally, we don't expect presidents to take sides in primaries," Susie Wiles, who championed the president's Florida campaign in 2016, told News4Jax. "But this president has demonstrated that he's willing to do that, and he's willing to back up his endorsement with his presence."
DeSantis has leaned on Trump’s endorsement, and risen in the polls ahead of Florida's GOP primary election.
"When he anoints somebody as he has done with Ron DeSantis ... I think, it's fair to say it's a game-changer," said Wiles, who attended Tuesday night's event. "And then to rally with him in a very important part of the state electorally, it's a very big deal. I think we will have to see come general election time. But certainly, for now, I can't think of anything that could be much more important."
Putnam was the front-runner for months until recent polls showed DeSantis ahead with likely GOP voters.
Wiles pointed out that it’s good for DeSantis, but the endorsement is big for the president as well.
"We're focusing on the DeSantis campaign, but the stakes are high for the president, too," Wiles said. "And the fact that he's coming to Tampa is no accident."
Rick Mullaney, News4Jax political analyst and head of the Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute, agreed with Wiles that the endorsement and personal appearance is a game-changer in the campaigns.
"Adam Putnam himself is embracing Trump, make no mistake about it -- both of them going to the right," Mullaney said. "But Donald Trump's endorsement has made a big difference in this primary in Florida."
Democrats have criticized the rally, and the association between the president, DeSantis and Gov. Rick Scott, who is seeking to defeat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in a high-profile Senate race.
Jacksonville’s state Sen. Audrey Gibson called them “an unholy trinity."
“They don’t have a clue about the health care conditions of the state of Florida, nor do they care," Gibson said in a news release.
Both DeSantis and Putnam will participate in the News4Jax/JU Policy Institute gubernatorial debate next Wednesday. It will be televised live on WJXT and other stations across the state.