Crist’s opponent Makki says Trump ‘extremely popular’ in Florida and he'll win ‘by a landslide’

Amanda Makki, who is running against incumbent Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist in Florida’s 13th congressional district, says President Trump is “extremely popular” in the state, despite some recent polls suggesting otherwise. 

The Washington Post and other news outlets have reported that Trump is losing ground among senior voters in swing states such as Florida, which he won in 2016 by 1.2 percent.

A Real Clear Politics polling average has presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden leading Trump in Florida. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows Biden leading Trump nationally. 

“President Trump is extremely popular here,” Makki, who is running in a district that covers Pinellas County, said during the John Solomon Reports podcast on Tuesday. “The polls are the polls, but the people, when you talk to them, you hear a story, and the story is compelling. And the story is that they're happy with what the president is doing.”

Republicans recently won a special election in California’s 25th district, which marked the first time the GOP flipped a Democratic seat in that state in 22 years. Trump endorsed Republican candidate Mike Garcia in that race.

Makki, who has been endorsed by House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), was asked if there are lessons she's learned from the special election heading into the November election.

“Santa Clarita county is in the Los Angeles area. I mean, I don't think Los Angeles is a stronghold for Republicans. They shellacked the Democrats. It was double digit. So if you can win in Los Angeles, as a Republican, I will have no problem beating Charlie Crist in Florida in a D+2 district,” responded Makki, referring to an election handicap rating that shows Democrats having only a slight advance over Republicans.

“That's a testament to the president," said Makki, who served as the Army general counsel at the Pentagon during the George W. Bush administration. "That's a testament to Republican values."

Makki also said she thinks people in California looked at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Gov. Gavin Newsom and others in California leadership and said, " 'No thanks. We would much rather have a Republican-controlled Congress and send a Republican to Congress to be able to deliver for us.’ We want to get back to work. We don't want to be closed."

Makki points out that Trump wants to carefully begin to re-open the country while some governors in Democratic states want to keep the economy closed due to the virus.

“What's so wonderful about this country is that you have a democratic process that works,” she said. “You have a democratic process that reflects the will of the people as it did in 2016, when President Trump won by a landslide. I believe he will win again by a landslide and I think what you saw last week in Los Angeles is exactly what you're going to see across the country.”