Trump’s daughter-in-law, Florida guv headline GOP dinner
Lara Trump, President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, speaks at the New York State Republican Committee's annual gala in Manhattan on Tuesday night, June 20, 2017. She headlined the event with Florida Gov. Rick Scott. Credit: Corey Sipkin
President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump and Florida Gov. Rick Scott addressed the New York State Republican Committee’s annual gala in Manhattan Tuesday night — using the occasion to laud the new president’s record despite swirling controversy.
“In the next 7 1⁄2 years we do have a lot of work to do, but I am truly optimistic . . . I’m optimistic about the direction of the world . . . because we have a true leader,” in the White House, Lara Trump told the audience of about 500 Republicans who paid $700 to $1,000 to attend the dinner at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel.
The 34-year-old, who is married to Eric Trump, 33, has taken an active role in the campaign operation. She was recently hired as a senior consultant by the digital firm handling Trump’s 2020 re-election effort, and she has met with Republican National Committee officials to talk about strategy plans for the 2018 midterm congressional election, and 2020 presidential election, she told the audience.
Lara Trump complained about what she described as unfair media coverage of her father-in-law, saying the president’s efforts have been overshadowed by news coverage of the multiple probes examining his campaign’s purported ties to Russia.
“You won’t hear that on television, you will hear one word and that’s Russia,” she said of the president’s work so far in the Oval Office. “We’ll get past that very soon, and they’re going to have to start reporting on all the incredible things that have been accomplished by his administration.”
Scott — a swing-state Republican who endorsed Donald Trump last March after two of Florida’s own presidential hopefuls, former Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio, dropped out of the GOP primary — told the gathering he was “optimistic” about Trump’s presidency, describing the president as a “problem solver.”
He also took aim at New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, claiming the Democratic governor’s economic policies were “driving so many people to come to” Florida.
“Your governor is outstanding for our economy,” Scott said, later making the case that New York’s higher cost of living has encouraged businesses and homeowners to head to Florida.
State GOP Chairman Ed Cox also took aim at Cuomo during his opening remarks, criticizing the governor for holding a rally with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) earlier this month in which both vowed to defeat the state’s Republican House members in next year’s midterm election.
“New York will be the key state that once again denies Nancy Pelosi the speakership,” Cox said.
Cuomo’s office did not immediately return an email seeking comment Tuesday night.
Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.
