By Kimberly Leonard

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023, at Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) | AP

Good morning from West Palm Beach.

Former President Donald Trump is using Florida’s problems to roast Gov. Ron Desantis.

During a rambling speech delivered close to his Mar-a-Lago club, Trump last night called on DeSantis to drop out of the presidential race and said Florida had been neglected while its governor was “wasting his time” campaigning for president.

“DeSanctus has been flying around the country, setting fire to his reputation and destroying the reputation, frankly, of Florida,” said Trump, who is leading the GOP field for president by wide margins.

Trump singled out property insurance costs, saying the crisis affected Floridians “like never before.” It wasn’t the first time Trump criticized DeSantis over the problem, but it seemed to hit differently last night in front of an audience of 3,500 supporters here in Florida. Soaring property insurance rates are a hard problem to explain to voters — unless they're going through it firsthand.

Members of the audience said, “That’s right” and murmured in approval when Trump brought up how hard it was to stay insured and to pay crushingly high monthly rates. Just this week, a key state senator downplayed the possibility that the next Legislative session would tackle the issue, and a new report predicted costs would stay high.

The former president spent much of his speech, to the Club 47 Trump fan club, blaming President Joe Biden for the war in Israel. But Trump still had plenty of criticisms against DeSantis tucked into his meandering, 100-minute remarks. He boasted about beating DeSantis in a Florida poll and said the governor was without talent or personality.

“Florida families are getting clobbered while he's off on his failing campaign,” Trump said.

When reporters asked DeSantis about the property insurance problem before, he pointed to a new law he signed in Florida that is supposed to try to keep costs down by making it harder for people to sue insurers, though he warned the changes would take time. His campaign would only address Trump’s comments calling for him to drop out by saying it was “wishful thinking” on the part of the former president because he is “feeling the heat.”

“DeSantis is setting the pace in the early states and building the largest grass-roots infrastructure of any candidate this cycle,” said press secretary Bryan Griffin.

— WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis will be campaigning in New Hampshire with the super PAC supporting him, Never Back Down. He’ll also file for the primary in Concord, N.H.

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SHADE IN THE STATE SENATE — State Sen. Jason Pizzo, D-Hollywood, took a jab Wednesday at DeSantis and other statewide elected officials — including former Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democrat — for never visiting any prisons over the last six years.

Pizzo made his comments during a presentation by Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon before a Senate budget panel. Over the last few years, Florida’s prison system has had significant staff shortages, leading to a decision to bring in National Guard units to help.

Lawmakers have boosted pay the last two years as well as authorizing hiring and retention bonuses, which has helped lower the correctional officer vacancy rate from more than 33 percent to 15.4 percent, according to Dixon’s presentation.

But Dixon — following a discussion about the lack of air-conditioning in most prisons — acknowledged that as much as $500 million was needed to fix, repair or build new prisons because of poor conditions in existing facilities. That prompted Pizzo to question Dixon about whether top state officials had seen the actual conditions of prisons.

“We’re spending over $3 billion a year out of the state budget and nobody has ever visited the inside of a prison the last six years,” Pizzo said.

Dixon, who was appointed DeSantis, said he wasn’t sure about that statement. Pizzo then asked if it was likely that a top state official would have toured the prison without his knowledge, noting that the department is notified when legislators visit.

“I would get word of it … I’d rather not get into all that,” Dixon told Pizzo. “They are tremendously supportive.”

Pizzo responded by saying “I don’t recall the Democratic agriculture commissioner of the state of Florida visiting either to be fair.” He added that if $3 billion was being spent then it would be “reasonable” for state officials to look at the needs of the system.

— Gary Fineout

BUYING BONDS — “After attacks, Palm Beach County and Florida support Israel with total $50 million investment,” by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Scott Travis: Palm Beach and Florida are each buying $25 million-worth of bonds from Israel in response to Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel.

MICROSCOPE ON MEDICAID — State officials, during a committee meeting Wednesday, defended their methods for determining whether millions of people can stay on Medicaid, and said they help children get new coverage after they lose access to the federal and state-funded health insurance program, reported News Service of Florida’s Jim Saunders.

ON THE BALLOT — “A constitutional right to hunt and fish? Florida voters will decide in 2024,” by the Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher: “The issue, which has garnered bipartisan support, has been overshadowed by other ballot initiatives. But a new opposition group has formed, warning voters that enshrining hunting and fishing rights in the state constitution could lead to bear hunts and other ramifications that have mostly escaped public scrutiny.”

DRAGGED ON — “Appeals court won’t block ruling in Hamburger Mary’s drag show case,” by News Service of Florida: The 2-1 decision from a panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of appeals will allow a temporary hold on a Florida law that would have prevented children from attending drag shows. The law is being challenged on First Amendment grounds.

SPEAKER BATTLE UNRESOLVED — House Republicans secured enough votes to nominate Majority Leader Steve Scalise as the next speaker, but now at least a dozen Republicans are already saying they won’t support him. Scalise cannot become speaker unless he loses no more than four Republican votes, assuming Democrats won’t help.

BUT FLORIDA MAN MAKES MOVES — Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) plans to run for House majority leader. Others possibly in contention include Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) and Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).

Reached Wednesday night in West Palm Beach, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) called Donalds a “really good friend” but dodged a question over whether he’d support him.

“I've supported him in just about everything he's ever pursued, so I look forward to chatting with him about it,” Gaetz said.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 21: U.S. Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) speaks to reporters as he walks towards the office of the Speaker of the House in the Capitol building on September 21, 2023 in Washington, DC. House members were sent home for the weekend after Republican leaders failed in a procedural vote over a Pentagon funding bill. The failure skuttled plans to keep the House in session over the weekend to pass a stop-gap government funding plan. (Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images) | Getty Images

HELPING HAND — Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) was not in D.C. for the speakership vote or surrounding meetings because he’s on the ground in Israel assisting with rescue efforts. Mills told Javier Manjarres of The Floridian in a phone interview that he rescued 32 Americans but “hundreds were trapped” in Israel.

FEDERAL PROBE — “At least 40 BSO employees accused of fraudulently applying for PPP loans,” sources tell Local 10 News: “We’re told as many as 40 [Broward Sheriff Office] employees are currently part of a federal investigation into PPP loan fraud charges, with as many as 2 dozen already suspended from the department this past weekend.” Congress created PPP loans to help businesses stay afloat during the Covid pandemic.

FLORIDA DELEGATION — “Members of Congress call on Biden to expand protection from deportation for Nicaraguans,” by Miami Herald’s Syra Ortiz Blanes: “U.S. Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Maria Elvira Salazar and Maxwell Frost … led the writing of the letter, which 44 Congress members signed. This includes Florida Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Darren Soto, Frederica Wilson, and Kathy Castor.”

ENDANGERED? — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is set to review manatee data to decide whether it should receive protections under the Endangered Species Act, writes the Tampa Bay Times’ Max Chesnes. Manatees are currently listed as “threatened.”

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ON TAP TODAY — U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon will preside over hearings for Trump co-defendants in the classified documents case, Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira. She’ll review possible conflicts of interest for Stanley Woodward, an attorney representing both men.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers remarks during the Heritage Foundation 50th anniversary leadership summit at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., April 21, 2023. (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images) | Francis Chung/POLITICO

ANALYSIS — “With presidential hopes teetering, DeSantis says he 'delivered' in Florida. Did he?” by the USA Today Network-Florida’s John Kennedy: “Drilling deeper into DeSantis’ Florida paints a more nuanced picture of how his leadership has been felt day-to-day by those he serves. DeSantis has three years ahead as governor, if his presidential run comes up short. When state lawmakers return to the Florida Capitol in January to begin the legislative session, DeSantis and the Legislature will again come face-to-face with” property insurance hikes, a high number of Floridians without health insurance, low wages, a shortage in elder care workers and high rent.

ISRAEL STANCE — “DeSantis says he would not dine with Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and indicates support for clean aid bill for Israel,” by CNN’s Kit Mayer: DeSantis avoided directly criticizing Trump over the Mar-a-Lago dinner. On Congress coming to the aid of Israel, he supports a standalone bill rather than one tied to funding for Ukraine.

— Donalds slammed his alma matter Florida State University over a pro-Palestinian protest on campus. “These silver-spooned snowflakes don’t represent the Garnet & Gold or the Red, White, & Blue,” he wrote on X. “They represent the scum in our society.”

BIRTHDAYS: State Sen. Lauren Book … state Sen. Shevrin Jones … former Rep. Joe Garcia

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