The Florida Republican Party rejected the loyalty oath in Florida
On Friday, September 15th, in the evening hours, the Florida Republican Party rejected the loyalty oath proposed by Ron DeSantis.
The loyalty oath would have required candidates to pledge their support to the party’s eventual candidate.
This move by the Republican Party has positioned them on the side of Donald Trump in a power struggle against Governor Ron DeSantis.
While not a direct confrontation, it serves as a test of support for the two rivals in Florida.
Back in May, the party had quietly agreed to institute a commitment that would require aspirants to pledge their support to the Republican candidate for next year’s primaries.
Many of Trump’s allies saw this move as an attempt to boost Ron DeSantis.
Pro-Trump forces within the party, led by State Senator Joe Gruters, pushed to reverse this decision on Friday.
They argued that the state party violated the national party’s rules, which prohibit changes to candidate eligibility requirements within two years of an election.
The Florida Republican Party rejected the loyalty
Gruters, a former chairman of the Florida Republican Party, motioned to remove the commitment and won by an “overwhelming” margin in the vote, as reported by CNN.
“Common sense prevailed tonight in the Florida Republican Party,” said Gruters.
Former President Donald Trump had refused to sign a pledge to support the eventual presidential candidate of the party, which was a prerequisite for participating in the first Republican National Committee primary debate next week.
The executive committee of the state Republican Party held the vote during the organization’s quarterly meeting in Orlando.
The Florida Republican Party initially saw this as an opportunity to lay the groundwork for the 2024 campaign and maintain Florida’s Republican status, but it turned into a power struggle.
The outcome suggests that Trump maintains an advantage over DeSantis in their common home state.
On Friday night, the two 2024 rivals were delivering speeches in Washington, just about three kilometers apart, at events for conservative Christians.
In August, DeSantis had signed the loyalty pledge from the National Republican Committee to support the party’s eventual candidate.
On Thursday, Trump told conservative host Megyn Kelly that he doesn’t plan to debate his fellow Republicans, citing his lead in the 2024 primaries.
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