In a surprising move, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, hit the campaign trail in Florida this week, a state that has become increasingly red in recent presidential elections. Despite Donald Trump’s comfortable lead in the polls and his relative lack of campaigning in the Sunshine State, Emhoff believes Florida is still in play for the Democrats.
“We can win Florida. We should win Florida!” Emhoff declared to an enthusiastic crowd of supporters at a Get Out the Early Vote rally in Hallandale Beach, a Democratic stronghold in Broward County. His visit raised eyebrows, as Harris herself has not campaigned in Florida, focusing instead on the critical battleground states of the Northeast.
Senate Race and Abortion Rights
Beyond the presidential contest, Emhoff’s presence in Florida carries extra significance due to the tight U.S. Senate race between incumbent Republican Rick Scott and Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. Much of their sparring has centered on women’s healthcare rights, particularly Amendment 4, a ballot initiative that would overturn Florida’s restrictive six-week abortion ban if approved by 60% of voters.
Emhoff took aim at Trump, painting him as the architect of Roe v. Wade’s downfall. “Make no mistake, Donald Trump is no friend to women,” he asserted. “He has proven himself to be a threat to women. Now he claims to be a friend to women. Would he protect you? Of course not. Trump is proud of it, he brags about stripping away Roe v. Wade.” His comments elicited impassioned chants of “Yes on 4!” from the crowd.
Attacking Project 2025 and Trump’s Controversies
The second gentleman also took swipes at the Republicans’ extremist Project 2025 agenda, outlining how Harris would tackle issues like gun violence, the economy, and immigration from the White House. He expressed disappointment that polling showed a tightening race less than two weeks from Election Day. “It shouldn’t be this close,” Emhoff lamented.
Emhoff echoed Harris’ denunciation of Trump as a “fascist” who wants “unchecked power,” referencing the former president’s reported admiration for Adolf Hitler’s military generals. “We really need to listen to what Donald Trump is saying, what’s coming out of his mouth,” he warned. “We lived through it when he was president, somehow we got through it. This time around he poses an even greater threat – to the economy, to women, and our very lives.”
He’s completely unfit, unhinged and un-American. We need to turn the page on this chapter of American history.
Doug Emhoff on Donald Trump
Courting Hispanic Voters in South Florida
Following his Hallandale Beach address, Emhoff headed to a rally and fundraiser in Coral Gables, just miles from where Trump spoke directly to Latino voters earlier this week. Both campaigns are fiercely competing for South Florida’s sizable Hispanic community in the final stretch.
Local Democratic voters welcomed Emhoff’s visit as a sign that the party had not abandoned Florida. “Every weekend the Trump supporters are out here on street corners with their flags, it gets depressing,” said Anthony Hill of Lauderdale Lakes. “I don’t think Kamala is going to win here but if we can win some of the down-ballot races we can show that we’re still alive.”
As the high-stakes battle for Florida enters its final days, Doug Emhoff’s unexpected campaign swing underscores the Democrats’ determination to fight for every vote, even in the face of daunting odds. With issues like abortion access, gun safety, and safeguarding democracy itself on the ballot, Emhoff and Harris are betting that their message will resonate with enough Floridians to make a difference, if not at the top of the ticket, then in the critical races down the ballot that will shape the state’s future for years to come.
Emhoff took aim at Trump, painting him as the architect of Roe v. Wade’s downfall. “Make no mistake, Donald Trump is no friend to women,” he asserted. “He has proven himself to be a threat to women. Now he claims to be a friend to women. Would he protect you? Of course not. Trump is proud of it, he brags about stripping away Roe v. Wade.” His comments elicited impassioned chants of “Yes on 4!” from the crowd.
Attacking Project 2025 and Trump’s Controversies
The second gentleman also took swipes at the Republicans’ extremist Project 2025 agenda, outlining how Harris would tackle issues like gun violence, the economy, and immigration from the White House. He expressed disappointment that polling showed a tightening race less than two weeks from Election Day. “It shouldn’t be this close,” Emhoff lamented.
Emhoff echoed Harris’ denunciation of Trump as a “fascist” who wants “unchecked power,” referencing the former president’s reported admiration for Adolf Hitler’s military generals. “We really need to listen to what Donald Trump is saying, what’s coming out of his mouth,” he warned. “We lived through it when he was president, somehow we got through it. This time around he poses an even greater threat – to the economy, to women, and our very lives.”
He’s completely unfit, unhinged and un-American. We need to turn the page on this chapter of American history.
Doug Emhoff on Donald Trump
Courting Hispanic Voters in South Florida
Following his Hallandale Beach address, Emhoff headed to a rally and fundraiser in Coral Gables, just miles from where Trump spoke directly to Latino voters earlier this week. Both campaigns are fiercely competing for South Florida’s sizable Hispanic community in the final stretch.
Local Democratic voters welcomed Emhoff’s visit as a sign that the party had not abandoned Florida. “Every weekend the Trump supporters are out here on street corners with their flags, it gets depressing,” said Anthony Hill of Lauderdale Lakes. “I don’t think Kamala is going to win here but if we can win some of the down-ballot races we can show that we’re still alive.”
As the high-stakes battle for Florida enters its final days, Doug Emhoff’s unexpected campaign swing underscores the Democrats’ determination to fight for every vote, even in the face of daunting odds. With issues like abortion access, gun safety, and safeguarding democracy itself on the ballot, Emhoff and Harris are betting that their message will resonate with enough Floridians to make a difference, if not at the top of the ticket, then in the critical races down the ballot that will shape the state’s future for years to come.
