Good morning and welcome to Monday. The Republican Party of Florida is busily putting together plans for a Florida Man to be inaugurated for the first time ever. They’ll be celebrating the swearing in of President-elect DONALD TRUMP over four nights of inauguration festivities — and the fact that he has chosen to surround himself with so many of their own. The big Florida names bound for the Trump administration include incoming chief of staff SUSIE WILES and deputy chief of staff JAMES BLAIR, as well as Cabinet picks, from Rep. MIKE WALTZ for national security adviser to PAM BONDI for attorney general and Sen. MARCO RUBIO for secretary of state. “We are literally making America Florida here,” RPOF Executive Director BILL HELMICH told Playbook. RPOF only does inauguration events in Washington when the GOP candidate wins, Helmich said, though he added that such events for the state party in 2017 had been much smaller. Florida Republicans are pairing up with the Republican Party of Puerto Rico for their big events, a notable choice given the backlash that resulted after a comedian insulted the island territory at a Trump rally right before the election (which ultimately didn’t scar Trump’s electoral chances). It’s going to be a ball — literally. RPOF has 200 hotel rooms blocked off. Tickets to batch together room stays and attend various festivities run as high as $15,000, according to a flyer viewed by Playbook. Floridians will fly into the nation’s capital on Friday, Jan. 17 to check in. The next day they’ll gather for a breakfast at the Marriott Marquis and hear from several speakers, including Rubio and Puerto Rico Gov.-elect JENNIFFER GONZÁLEZ-COLÓN, as well as Reps. CORY MILLS, KAT CAMMACK and BYRON DONALDS. Saturday night they’ll have a gala, again at the Marriott Marquis, which is in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of D.C. It’s about a mile from the White House (and Joe’s Stone Crab’s D.C. location), and right across from the convention center where the main presidential inauguration ball is often held. That same night, Sen. RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.) and his wife ANN SCOTT are also hosting a black tie “Florida Sunshine Ball” for Trump, paid for by Scott’s Let’s Get to Work political committee. Scott similarly hosted a ball at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in 2017 that featured a performance from The Beach Boys. This year’s save the date, obtained by Playbook, is flanked with images of orchids, anthuriums and birds of paradise. On inauguration eve, ticketed guests are going to be treated to a reception at Florida’s “embassy” in D.C., called the Florida House. (Florida House touts itself as the only state outpost in Washington, and it’s right across from the Supreme Court and Library of Congress.) Then, of course, there’s the day of. Historically, it could be very cold and even snow in D.C. Not everyone is worried, though. ERIN HUNTLEY, who chairs the Orange County Republican Party that helped flip state House District 35, said her three teenage children are hoping for it. “It's been amazing to see this campaign and election from so many angles: volunteer, chair, electoral college member and now inauguration,” she said. “Our whole family is thankful for the opportunity to see this historic election up close.” Those who can’t make it won’t be left out. Back in Florida, Miami-Dade GOP Chair KEVIN COOPER said they’re considering having a luncheon to stream the inauguration since many people will be off work for the day, which falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Have more inauguration festivities in DC or Florida that should be featured in Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com.
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment