Sen. Rick Scott will not be up for reelection again until 2024, which is a good thing for Scott because a somewhat secretive poll, the results of which were obtained by Jonathan Swan, shows that Scott would get rolled by Don Trump Jr. And, not by a little, which is more than a little embarrassing to Scott.
Junior? Seriously? Someone so clearly unserious? Yes, as summarized by Mediaite:
Axios’ Jonathan Swan tweeted a slide from pollster Tony Fabrizio’s presentation showing that in a theoretical matchup between Trump, Jr. and the sitting senator, the son of former President Donald Trump has a significant lead, 56% to 32%. Lest we forget that Rick Scott put forth an 11-point plan to “rescue America” which includes, among other things, a specific call to raise taxes. Many political observers saw Scott’s plan as a clear signal for White House ambitions.
“If the Republican primary election for U.S. Senate (in Florida) was held today and the candidates were Rick Scott and Donald Trump Jr…” Slide from a Tony Fabrizio polling deck speaks to where the party is. Not done at direction of DJR or allies, per source familiar. pic.twitter.com/lIzhGfOXMX
— Jonathan Swan (@jonathanvswan) June 6, 2022
Of course, normally, polls two years out are near worthless because primary incumbents have so many built-in advantages including the near-universal support of the party. Scott best not plan on establishment help. Don Jr. is the son of the current establishment.
But one consideration is probably worth noting to offset some of the shock. It is true that Donald Trump is still the biggest presence and most influential MAGA. But he’s slipping a bit while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is rising a lot. If Trump runs in 2024 and if DeSantis opposes Trump in the primaries (two big “Ifs”) then the entire Trump dynamic is, at the very least, upended. Don Jr. would be running against DeSantis as much as Rick Scott. It would almost certainly curtail some of Junior’s support.
If Don Jr. really wanted to be a United States Senator he would do well to move to Wyoming, Idaho, or Alaska, fish and hunt for two years while scraping off the last of his “privileged Midtown Manhattan” roots, and then run in one of those states. True, the win wouldn’t have the prestige but if Don Jr. wants a platform to be a flamethrower, it would suffice.
It is still a shocking hypothetical poll. Scott should probably watch his skeletal back. A small, dull knife like Junior could work.
Jason Miciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, while also studying scientific philosophy, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact for speaking engagements or any concerns.