Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas), who had a productive meeting with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, announced on Tuesday that he is adding his name to the increasing list of Republicans who support former President Donald Trump for the presidential race in 2024.
On Tuesday, a Republican from Texas’s delegation to the House delivered a statement saying that Trump is the best Republican nominee because of his track record and his willingness to put America first.
Gooden painted the former president as a tenacious opponent of illegal immigration and a staunch defender of American employment and the economy. Gooden also emphasized Trump’s stance against the radical left’s socialist goal and his advocacy for the troops and veterans.
Republicans in Florida are backing Trump.
Seven other Florida Republicans in the House have already endorsed Trump for the Republican nomination, and now Gooden has joined them.
This week, Republican Representatives Greg Stuebe, John Rutherford, and Brian Mast added their support for Trump to those of their colleagues Cory Mills, Anna Paulina Luna, Byron Donalds, and Matt Gaetz.
On April 17, Steube interviewed the press, claiming that Trump is the sole individual who can immediately undo all of these flawed policies that the Biden administration has implemented.
Steube continued by saying that Republicans need to solve everything wrong with the country that transpired during the Biden administration, including the situation in Afghanistan, their lack of support for the military and veterans, and their refusal to implement the policies that the America First agenda advocates for.
Additional Support
According to Ballotpedia, Trump has the most support from House Republicans (at 39) of any declared contender. He also won over South Carolina’s governor, Henry McMaster, and seven senators.
Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) was the seventh senator to endorse Trump on April 13. Budd said that the United States is more robust and safer under Trump, whereas, under Joe Biden, the country is in decline. This was similar to what Trump said in November when he first declared his candidacy.
There are currently six Republican senators who have publicly backed Trump for president. Republican Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (Miss.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Tommy Tuberville (Ala.), Markwayne Mullin (Okla.), Republican Senator Eric Schmitt (Mo.), and Republican Senator J.D. Vance (Ohio).
According to Ballotpedia, which updates its data weekly, Trump has received support from House Republicans in 16 states. The state with the most endorsements for Trump is Texas, with 12.
Trump has received four endorsements in South Carolina, three in Arizona, and anywhere from one to three in the rest states. Two are from Alabama, one from Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee, three from Ohio, and one from West Virginia and Wyoming.
On the other hand, DeSantis has earned endorsements from two members of the House Republican Conference: Representatives Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky).
While DeSantis enjoys some popularity among Republicans, he has been continuously ranked lower than Trump in any hypothetical Republican primary fight in 2024.
After appearing in court and pleading not guilty to the 34 counts of false business records in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s probe into hush-money payments to adult entertainment star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign, Trump has recently received a slew of public endorsements.