By the numbers: President Trump's presence in Florida

Trump has spent more than 2,600 hours in Sunshine State

ORLANDO, Fla. – President Donald Trump kicked off his 2020 reelection campaign in Orlando Tuesday evening.

This trip marked his eighth rally-styled event in Florida as president. The last time he attended a campaign rally like this in the state was Feb. 18, 2017, in Melbourne.

Since then, the president has spent approximately 110 days in Florida, including his Orlando visit. According to his travel records, most of those trips included stops at his West Palm Beach golf course and Mar-a-Lago private club.

For perspective, the president has been in office for 878 days.

Apart from his resort visits, Trump had a heavy presence in Florida over the last two-and-a-half years.

Many of his appearances were to support Gov. Ron DeSantis on the campaign trail, and help him get elected to Florida’s top office. Trump also threw his support behind Sen. Rick Scott, assisting Scott to unseat former Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. 

Florida’s 2018 election marked the first time since the Reconstruction Era the state has had two GOP senators and a Republican governor. Gov. Lawton Chiles ending that streak.

Political scientists say Florida is key to winning a presidential election, and are calling the president’s location to make his reelection announcement a power play to set up what he’s been working on over the past two years. 

The last Republican to win the White House without Florida was Calvin Coolidge in 1924. 

Trump narrowly won Florida in 2016, with 49 percent of the popular vote -- a 1.2 percent winning margin over Hillary Clinton.


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