Former President Donald Trump got a hell of an endorsement Monday from Representative Greg Steube (Republican, Florida).
“I’m happy and honoured to endorse Donald J Chump for president in 2024,” Steube said on Newsmax.
He got Trump’s name right for the rest of the spiel, during which he praised Trump’s “American first” policies and noted that the former president is “widely supported in my district, widely supported in Florida.”
Steube, an ardent Trump ally, was among 147 Republicans in Congress who voted to overturn the 2020 election results even after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in an effort to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s win.
Trump, who still holds remarkable sway with the Republican base, announced his candidacy for president in November. He was indicted last month in a New York City case centred on his role in a $130,000 (£105,300) hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election.
He also faces multiple other federal and state investigations over other matters, including his business dealings, his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and his handling of classified documents.
Last week, NBC News reported that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is also expected to run in 2024, had started calling Republican members of the Florida congressional delegation asking them to hold off on endorsements in an effort to stave off defections in his own state. Steube was reportedly among those he called.
Steube’s announcement brings Trump’s tally of Florida lawmakers to five; Representatives Byron Donalds, Anna Paulina Luna, Matt Gaetz and Cory Mills have also endorsed him.
Twitter users couldn’t help but giggle at Steube’s slip of the tongue: