Florida
In court, Trump faced charges with no cameras present. Outside, he campaigned for all to see
MIAMI (AP) — Former President Donald Trump gave a wave and a thumbs-up to crowds outside the federal courthouse in downtown Miami after pleading not guilty to criminal charges. He then headed to a Cuban restaurant where he warmly greeted waiting supporters in a camera-ready scene that resembled a campaign stop, and later he railed against the charges before a friendly crowd of invited guests at a private golf club he owns.
In the largely unseen moments Tuesday — his attorney entering his plea, Trump sitting grim-faced with arms folded across his chest — the gravity of being the first former president charged with a federal crime was apparent.
In the seen moments, broadcast around the world in real time, there were a long motorcade, flag-waving supporters and a smaller number of anti-Trump protesters outside the courthouse. Then the former president and 2024 candidate had a detour in mind, to a popular restaurant where he was all smiles, greeted by supporters, prayed over by a rabbi and shadowed by his personal aide, who also has been charged in the case.
Then Trump flew on his private jet to New Jersey, where backers welcomed him with rally-like enthusiasm, music and chants for a speech delivered before a clubhouse with columns resembling the White House. The remarks, with live coverage only from his favored cable channel, were rife with errors and falsehoods that went unchallenged in the moment.
Trump has long been adroit at creating his own portrait of events, ever mindful of the power of television to shape an impression even as his actions have strained the safeguards of American democracy. The post-court itinerary was an orchestrated effort at counterprogramming as he campaigns again for president and maintains that he has been unfairly targeted by political rivals.
The international attention and the screaming crowds were more signs of the extraordinary nature of the day’s events and the person at the center of it all. A defendant like no other, Trump was the first former president to appear before a federal judge on criminal charges. He also is leading the Republican field for the 2024 presidential nomination, holding his status as frontrunner even as he has faced these and other legal troubles.
Hardly any of those gathered in Miami interacted with Trump, if they saw him at all through the window of his SUV. He arrived as part of a motorcade that entered the courthouse garage for his hearing on felony charges. The former president also left in the SUV with the windows rolled up before heading to Versailles, a restaurant, coffee shop and bakery that is a required stop for politicians visiting Miami. There, the crowd serenaded him with the “Happy Birthday” song, one day before the former president’s 77th birthday.
“Some birthday! We’ve got a government that’s out of control,” Trump said.
Trump has been making frequent stops at local restaurants during his campaign trips, in part to contrast his easy rapport with his supporters with his chief Republican rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But Tuesday’s stop was different, aimed at showcasing Trump’s continued support from GOP voters and signaling that he remains unbowed by the indictments.
He then headed to the airport for his flight back to New Jersey. At Bedminster, he called the 37 felony charges against him “election interference and yet another attempt to rig and steal” an election, repeating false claims about his 2020 loss to Joe Biden.
Some of Trump’s most high-profile supporters turned out Tuesday. In Miami, failed U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake of Arizona, whom Trump endorsed last year, walked through the crowd. Among those at Bedminster was election conspiracist Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow.
Outside the Miami courthouse earlier in the day, security was tight, with police vehicles blocking a palm tree-lined breezeway and public entrance to the building. A helicopter passed overhead at times, and officers circled the perimeter on bicycles.
The scene included what is now a staple of a Trump appearance or rally. People selling T-shirts with Trump’s face in a mock mugshot, with large letters reading “NOT GUILTY,” others hawking hats but also, fitting for Miami, mangoes.
Some waved Trump 2024 flags, supporting his bid for president. Another man, who opposes Trump, dressed in black-and-white prison stripes and held a sign reading “LOCK HIM UP.” At times, people shouted past each other, and small groups of pro-Trump supporters and anti-Trump protesters squabbled, occasionally yelling obscenities at each other.
Domenic Santana, who showed up in the jailhouse uniform complete with handcuffs and a plastic ball and chain, said he “wanted to join the circus.”
Santana came to the U.S. as a child from Cuba and retired in Miami after decades operating an eatery in the New York area. The 61-year-old considers himself a political independent and says his mother and daughter voted for Trump.
“A fellow New Yorker can spot a rat a mile away,” he said. “Frankly, he should’ve been locked up ages ago.”
More typical, among the earliest arrivals outside the courthouse were the father-son duo of Florencio and Kevin Rodriguez, who came to the U.S. 15 years ago as asylum seekers fleeing dictatorship in Cuba.
Wearing a shirt that read “Jesus is my savior, Trump is my president,” the younger Rodriguez, Kevin, said it was possible that Trump was guilty of illegally retaining classified documents.
But he questioned the fairness of the proceedings in light of what he said was prosecutors’ lax attitude toward President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton — both of whom have also been accused of mishandling classified intelligence, though without any intention of hiding their actions.
“Even if he’s guilty, we will still support him,” Rodriguez said.
Madelin Munilla, 67, who came to Miami as a child when her parents fled Fidel Castro’s Cuba, carried a sign with a photo of Biden alongside leaders who had their opponents put in jail.
“This is what they do in Latin America,” she said.
Others came to counter the Trump supporters. Jack Kaplan, 68, drove two hours from Fort Pierce. Carrying a copy of the indictment affixed to a clipboard and a sign reading “Trump is Toast,” the retired car dealer said he’ll celebrate with a $1,400 bottle of Mouton Rothschild red wine if the former president is locked away.
“I’ve already got the bottle sitting in my wine cooler,” said Kaplan as a Trump supporter carrying a sign reading “Keep America Great” walked by. “I’m going to have a big party.”
Florida
Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia Targets Orange County Over $300 Million in Alleged Wasteful Spending
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Blaise Ingoglia announced that more than $300 million in the 2025-2026 Orange County budget has been identified as “excessive and wasteful spending,” as part of an ongoing statewide review of local government finances.
According to the Florida Agency of Fiscal Oversight, Orange County’s General Fund Budget has increased by 66.06% since 2019. Last year, the CFO’s office identified nearly $200 million in what it described as excessive spending in the county’s 2024-2025 budget.
Ingoglia said the continued increase in spending highlights the need for property tax reform across Florida.
“Last September, my office revealed that Orange County’s local government officials were irresponsibly spending taxpayer dollars,” Ingoglia said in a statement. “Not only did they not heed our warning, but they doubled down on excessive spending. The taxpayers are suffering the consequences of their wasteful spending problem. The time for property tax reform is now.”
ORANGE COUNTY BUDGET GROWTH
State officials reported that Orange County’s General Fund Budget increased by $688,768,908 since 2020, while the county’s population grew by 131,538 residents during that same period.
According to the report, for every family of four that moved to Orange County, the budget increased by approximately $20,945.
The Florida Agency of Fiscal Oversight also stated that Orange County has spent an estimated $747.5 million in excessive or wasteful expenditures over the last six years.
PROPERTY TAX RELIEF PROPOSAL
The report claims Orange County could reduce its millage rate by 1.22 mills without disrupting essential county services. If implemented, homeowners could see annual savings based on taxable property values:
- A taxable home value of $300,000 could save approximately $365 annually.
- A taxable home value of $400,000 could save approximately $486 annually.
- A taxable home value of $500,000 could save approximately $608 annually.
The findings come as Florida leaders continue discussing broader statewide property tax reform initiatives focused on reducing the burden on homeowners.
STATEWIDE FISCAL OVERSIGHT EFFORT
Ingoglia said his office has now uncovered more than $2.4 billion in excessive and wasteful government spending statewide. He pledged to continue reviewing local government budgets and advocating for transparency and accountability in taxpayer spending.
Americans for Prosperity also voiced support for the effort.
“CFO Ingoglia continues to keep his foot on the gas when it comes to identifying wasteful spending within local governments,” said Greg Ungru of Americans for Prosperity. “Taxpayers deserve transparency, especially as Orange County has continued to throw away money over the last six years.”
Florida
Darren Soto Faces Toughest Re-Election Fight as Puerto Rican Political Influence Shifts in Central Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — A decade ago, Central Florida’s growing Puerto Rican population was widely viewed as a political force poised to reshape Florida politics for generations.
Today, that momentum faces growing uncertainty.
As congressional redistricting redraws political boundaries, voter turnout fluctuates, and internal political divisions deepen, Puerto Rican political representation in Central Florida is confronting one of its most significant challenges in modern Florida history.
At the center of the debate is Darren Soto, Florida’s first Puerto Rican member of Congress, who now faces a dramatically reshaped congressional district that political analysts say could strongly favor Republicans in 2026.
The battle over Soto’s political future has become symbolic of a larger question unfolding across Orange and Osceola counties: Can Puerto Rican political influence maintain its footing in a rapidly changing Central Florida electorate?
A Community That Once Redefined Florida Politics
Puerto Rican migration to Central Florida accelerated in the early 2000s and surged further following the economic downturn in Puerto Rico and the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The migration transformed communities throughout Orlando, Kissimmee and surrounding areas, creating one of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the continental United States.
The political impact soon followed.
Puerto Rican candidates increasingly won elections at both the state and federal levels, creating what many viewed as a rising pipeline of Hispanic leadership in Florida.
That rise included the elections of leaders such as:
US House of Representatives
- Darren Soto (D) — U.S. Congressman(2016) ; former State Senator (2012) and State Representative (2007)
Florida State Senate
- Victor Torres (D) — former State Senator (2016-2024) and State Representative (2012)
Florida House of Representatives
- Susan Plasencia (R) — State Representative (2022)
- Johanna López (D) — State Representative (2022) and former Orange County School Board Member
- Daisy Morales (D) — former State Representative (2020) and former Supervisor of Orange County Soil & Water Conservation District
- Amy Mercado (D) — former State Representative (2016)
- René Plasencia (R) — former State Representative (2014)
- John Cortes (D) — former State Representative (2014)
- Bob Cortes (R) — former State Representative (2014)
- Ricardo Rangel (D) — former State Representative 2012
- John Quiñones (R) — former State Representative (2002) and former Osceola County Commissioner
- Anthony Suarez (D) — former State Representative (1999)
Puerto Rican representation reached a high point during the mid-2010s.
In 2016, six Puerto Rican elected officials simultaneously held seats in Congress or the Florida Legislature, including Soto, Torres, Bob Cortes, John Cortes, Amy Mercado and Rene Plasencia.
Political strategists at the time predicted that Puerto Rican voters could eventually help Democrats establish long-term dominance in Florida.
That projection, however, has not materialized.
Redistricting Changed the Political Landscape
The congressional map approved by Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature significantly altered Central Florida’s political boundaries following the 2020 Census.
The changes reshaped Soto’s congressional district by expanding it eastward and incorporating more conservative coastal and suburban voters.
Under the revised district:
- The Hispanic voting-age population declined substantially.
- Puerto Rican voter concentration dropped sharply.
- White voters became the district’s largest demographic group.
- Republican performance improved across multiple precincts added to the district.
Political analysts say the new map transformed what had been a Democratic-leaning Hispanic-majority district into a far more competitive seat.
The map also intensified concerns among civil rights advocates and Puerto Rican community leaders who argue the changes diluted Hispanic voting power.
Several legal challenges were filed against the congressional maps, though Florida courts have thus far allowed the districts to remain in place.
Election Results Raise Concerns
Recent election outcomes have further fueled debate over the future of Puerto Rican political representation.
In Senate District 25, Puerto Rican leadership ended after term limits forced the departure of Victor Torres.
His wife, Carmen Torres, sought to retain the seat in 2024 with support from Democratic leaders and Puerto Rican political organizations. She ultimately lost to a White candidate, Kristen Arrington.
In House Districts 35, 44 and 47 — districts with large Hispanic populations — White candidates also prevailed.
Meanwhile, former State Representative Daisy Morales lost her re-election bid after facing opposition supported by portions of the Democratic establishment. That opposition included, but not limited to Johanna López (Puerto Rican), who previously served as campaign manager for Samuel Vilchez Santiago during his unsuccessful 2020 challenge against Morales and later strongly supported a white candidate in Morales re-election race in 2022.
Some Puerto Rican community leaders argue these election outcomes reflect a growing disconnect between Central Florida’s expanding Hispanic population and the candidates ultimately elected to represent those communities.
Others point to changing coalition politics in Central Florida, where Venezuelan, Colombian, Brazilian and non-Hispanic voters increasingly shape election outcomes alongside Puerto Rican voters.
Internal Political Divisions Complicate the Picture
Political observers also note that internal divisions within Democratic and Puerto Rican political circles have contributed to leadership turnover.
Several recent races featured:
- Competing endorsements among Puerto Rican leaders.
- Financial support directed toward non-Puerto Rican candidates.
- Divisions between progressive and establishment Democratic factions.
- Low turnout in local and legislative elections.
The victories of candidates such as Rita Harris demonstrated how coalition-building among African American, White progressive and non-Puerto Rican Hispanic voters could overcome traditional Puerto Rican political bases.
Voter Turnout Remains a Major Challenge
Despite population growth, Puerto Rican voter turnout has remained inconsistent in nonpresidential elections.
Political strategists say turnout gaps continue to weaken electoral influence, particularly in:
- Midterm elections.
- Local legislative races.
- Municipal and county contests.
Lower participation rates among younger voters and newly relocated residents have also limited the community’s ability to fully translate population growth into political power.
Republicans, meanwhile, have made gains among Hispanic voters across Florida, particularly among working-class and socially conservative voters concerned about inflation, public safety and economic issues.
Soto Still Maintains Key Advantages
Despite the challenges, Darren Soto enters the next election cycle with several advantages.
Soto remains one of the most recognizable political figures in Central Florida and has built strong relationships throughout Osceola and Orange counties during his years in public office.
Supporters credit Soto with helping secure federal investments involving:
- Transportation infrastructure.
- SunRail expansion efforts.
- Airport development.
- Economic development initiatives.
- Hurricane recovery assistance for Puerto Rican families relocating to Florida.
Democrats also believe backlash against aggressive redistricting and growing concerns over immigration enforcement policies could energize Hispanic voter turnout.
Still, many political analysts acknowledge that the new district lines significantly complicate Soto’s path to reelection.
What Happens if Soto Loses?
If Soto is defeated, Florida could temporarily lose Puerto Rican representation in Congress entirely.
For many community leaders, the symbolic impact would be significant.
Puerto Rican advocates argue that representation matters not only legislatively, but culturally and politically, particularly for communities that spent decades building political infrastructure in Central Florida.
The concern extends beyond a single election cycle.
Currently, Johanna López and Susan Plasencia remain among the few Puerto Rican voices serving in the Florida House.
López has announced she will not seek reelection and instead is running for Orange County commissioner. She endorsed Samuel Vilchez Santiago, a Venezuelan American candidate, to succeed her.
If elected, Santiago would further reflect the political evolution of Central Florida’s Hispanic electorate, where multiple Latino communities increasingly share political influence once largely associated with Puerto Rican voters.
A Defining Election Cycle Ahead
As Central Florida continues to diversify politically and demographically, the 2026 election cycle is expected to test whether Puerto Rican political influence can regroup under new district boundaries and changing coalition dynamics.
For Soto and many longtime Puerto Rican leaders, the coming election may determine whether the political movement that transformed Central Florida over the last two decades can maintain its influence — or whether a new political era is already emerging.
