Florida GOP Drops Loyalty Oath Ballot Requirement

The Messenger reports:

The Republican Party of Florida is now Donald Trump’s GOP as well. In a rebuke to Gov. Ron DeSantis, the state party’s executive board Friday rejected his wishes and acceded to Trump’s by voting to scrap a newly instituted loyalty oath it wanted presidential candidates to sign in order to appear on the March 19 primary ballot.

“This was huge. There was no need for this oath. It’s a big win for Trump and a big win for the Republican Party,” said state Sen. Joe Gruters [photo], the Trump ally who pushed through the change.

A former state party chair, Gruters has been a Trump ally since 2012 and had a falling out with DeSantis after the governor was elected in 2018. He told The Messenger that his motion passed via voice vote by an overwhelming margin, a sign of Trump’s influence.

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The Republican Party of Florida is now Donald Trump’s GOP as well

In a rebuke DeSantis, the GOP’s board rejected his wishes & acceded to Trump’s by scrapping loyalty oath it wanted candidates to sign to appear on the March 19 prez primary ballothttps://t.co/fdG8euAmfB

— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) September 16, 2023