Donald Trump formally launched his re-election bid in Florida on Tuesday, as he looks to the election in 2020.
The Republican President chose Orlando for the rally, drawing large crowds despite a controversial three years in office.
Florida is a key battleground state for an election, given its swing state status.
Trump is also a frequent visitor to the state, often taking vacations at his Mar-A-Largo resort in Palm Beach.
Winning Florida has often been seen as the key to securing The White House. Notably, back in 2016, Trump won Florida by 49%.
In his speech, Trump chose to criticise the Mueller investigation, which he has repeatedly called a ‘Witch Hunt’.
The President also addressed Immigration, telling reporters: “We believe our country should be a sanctuary for law-abiding citizens, not for criminal aliens,”
He also took the opportunity to discredit his Democrat opponents, stating:
“Just imagine what this angry leftwing mob would do if they were in charge of this country,”
“Imagine if we had a Democrat president and Democrat Congress in 2020. They would shut down your free speech, use the power of the law to punish their opponents, which they are trying to do now anyway.”
He also claimed: “They would strip Americans of their constitutional rights while flooding the country with illegal immigrants in the hopes it will expand their political base.”
Famously, in the run up to the 2016 election, Trump pledged to build a wall between the US border and Mexico – the wall has yet to materialise.
Whilst sitting presidents are often statistically more likely to secure a second term, the unpredictability of recent elections means nothing is certain.
According to the latest poll from Quinnipiac, Former Vice President Joe Biden is ahead of Trump in Florida, with 50%.
Similarly, Independent candidate Bernie Sanders is polling at 48% compared to Trump’s 42%.
However, as the 2016 election proved, polls are increasingly inaccurate in forecasting outcomes.
Nevertheless, Trump has faced persistently low approval rates throughout the course of his presidency. His approval ratings are at 42% according to the latest Ipsos poll.
In the coming months, Trump will be looking to defend the record of his administration.
Thus far, he has been keen to highlight employment figures and economic growth under his Presidency.
His recent visit to the UK also provided a boost to Trump’s re-election campaign, with his team hoping to highlight his capability as a statesman and diplomatic figure.
Nevertheless, the trip was not free from controversy, with Trump’s critical tweets against London Mayor Sadiq Khan making headlines.
