Eric Trump commended Floridians for helping his father retake the White House in an interview with The Citizen this week — and highlighted Ponte Vedra Beach resident Susie Wiles’ role in the resounding victory.
The Trump clan scion — a Palm Beach resident — said he believes the Sunshine State will remain a reliable GOP stronghold well into the future.
“Florida is great. It is our home state,” he said. ”We won the state decisively. We won Miami-Dade County, which is unheard of for a Republican candidate, and I think that shows that Florida is solidly, solidly red.”
Donald Trump was the first Republican presidential candidate to take Miami-Dade County since George H.W. Bush in 1988.
The unanticipated reddening marked a significant shift for the state’s most populous county, which had voted for the Democratic presidential nominee for more than three decades before last week’s flip.
More than 65% of residents are Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census.
Eric Trump, who is the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, didn’t have an official role in the re-election campaign but was a staunch public advocate for his father, appearing at rallies and giving interviews to promote his platform.
He also worked closely with key campaign figures, including Wiles, who will serve as the incoming president’s White House chief of staff.
“Susan Wiles is fantastic,” he told The Citizen. “I’m extremely close to her. I was a big advocate of hers. She did a phenomenal job. She deserved it more than anyone.”
The president-elect spotlighted Wiles’ role in the campaign in an early morning victory speech from Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, calling her to the podium.
Wiles declined to speak. “She likes to stay in the background,” he told the crowd. “She’s not in the background.”
Wiles, a longtime Ponte Vedra Beach resident, is the daughter of legendary NFL player and announcer Pat Summerall.
Wiles emerged as a potent figure in Jacksonville politics in her younger years, serving as a top staff for mayors John Peyton and John Delaney. Wiles also led Gov. Ron DeSantis’ successful 2018 gubernatorial campaign.
Securing Florida’s electoral votes and flipping Miami-Dade County were top campaign imperatives — and Eric Trump lauded Wiles for executing those tasks and widening his father’s path back to Washington.
President-elect Donald Trump has selected key Florida figures to serve in his administration, including Sen. Marco Rubio for secretary of state, former Rep. Matt Gaetz for attorney general and Rep. Mike Waltz for national security adviser.
