At a Republican National Committee meeting on Friday, leaders from Maryland and Florida’s Republican Party leadership backed Florida State Sen. Joe Gruters’ nomination for RNC chair.
00:00The chair recognizes Scott Golden, the state chairman from Tennessee, for the purpose of nominating Mr. Gruters for RNC chairman.
00:14Thank you, Chairman Watley. Thank you for your service.
00:17Thank you for the yard signs that you put in my car and the directions to Western North Carolina on the way home.
00:23Watley for Senate. Watley for Senate.com. He failed to mention that.
00:26It is an exciting period in the RNC. I'm so happy for him.
00:34And when I got the news that Joe Gruters was going to be the next chairman, I have been beaming.
00:38We are blessed to have a leader that is willing to do this.
00:42And it is my honor to get to make a quick speech. Mandy, I'm watching.
00:49But there's a lot there. And the excitement is over the over the moon.
00:54But I want to tell you a little bit about the Joe Gruters that we're getting, because that's the questions that I get asked is, tell me about Joe.
01:01What's he done? And when you start looking at his resume, you will see 20 years worth of political involvement at every single level that we ourselves have been at.
01:12A volunteer, a volunteer, a staffer, a local party chairman, the vice chairman of the Florida Republican Party, the chairman of the Florida Republican Party, a state representative, a state senator, ultimately our treasurer, RNC committee man.
01:32He has been in every one of the positions that you and I currently serve.
01:38He is immensely qualified for the task that he has undertaken.
01:43And more importantly, he is a dear friend. And I could not be more happy for him.
01:50Actually, truth be told, I'm really happy that his golf game is going to suffer with disappointment, by the way.
01:55So what's in it for me is the way it goes.
01:59So let me just finish up by saying this, and I know we're going to be quick, that he is President Trump's choice for this position.
02:06He has been our choice already.
02:09And he is the best choice to lead this party to victory in 2026.
02:15I am honored to nominate Joe Gruters of Florida as the next RNC chairman.
02:19The chair will now recognize David Bossie, the national committee man from Maryland, and Kathleen King, the national committee woman from Florida, for the purposes of seconding the nomination.
02:41Thank you, Michael.
02:43Good luck in your next endeavor.
02:45We all know you're going to crush it.
02:47It is my honor today to rise to second denomination of a man who has been with President Trump and with the Make America Great Again movement from the very beginning, my good friend, Joe Gruters.
03:03Joe and I have both been in the trenches alongside President Trump since 2015, fighting to expose the Washington establishment, battling the radical left,
03:12and helping build the greatest political movement this country has ever seen.
03:18From the rallies, from the first rallies to the final get-out-the-vote efforts, Joe has always shown up, not for personal gain, but for the cause of America First.
03:30During the 2016 campaign, when many doubted us, Joe stepped forward as one of President Trump's earliest supporters,
03:37serving as Florida's co-chair alongside my good friend, the great Susie Wiles, and helping deliver a decisive victory in the Sunshine State.
03:49In 2020, he did it again, building the infrastructure, turning out the vote, and helping Florida become a fortress for President Trump.
03:57And in 2024, under Joe's incredible leadership, Florida delivered margins so strong, they shocked the political class and the mainstream media.
04:10As chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, Joe proved what bold, disciplined leadership can accomplish.
04:18He expanded our grassroots army, flipped voter registration, and delivered an unbroken string of victories up and down the ballot.
04:26That is no accident.
04:29That is Joe Gruter's steady hand and strategic vision.
04:35My fellow members, the stakes could not be higher.
04:38We need a chairman who is battle-tested, trusted by the President, and proven in the field.
04:45That man is Joe Gruter's.
04:47It is my privilege to second the nomination of Joe Gruter's for chairman of the Republican National Committee.
04:56Good morning.
05:06I proudly rise to third the nomination of my friend and colleague, Joe Gruter's for RNC chair.
05:12I've had the privilege of serving alongside Joe for the last couple of decades at the local, state, and national level.
05:19Joe and I serve side-by-side, holding a congressional district at a time, as you heard, when Florida wasn't red like it is today.
05:25We've moved up in the state party leadership and the national leadership structure together.
05:31It was under Joe's leadership as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida that we doubled the margin of victory to deliver Florida for President Trump in 2020.
05:39We flipped the voter registration advantage to Republican for the first time in modern history in Florida in 2020-21.
05:46This positioned us to re-elect Governor Ron DeSantis with historic margins in 2022, and we took back a Florida cabinet seat.
05:55We elected a supermajority of the Florida House and Senate.
05:58We flipped four congressional seats, which led Republicans to regain control of the U.S. House in 2020-23.
06:05And it was over these years that I got to know Joe.
06:09Joe is a reliable, relentless, fearless, unafraid, political junkie, ton of fun guy who will always show up when he says he will, and he doesn't play it safe.
06:22Kind of like someone else we know.
06:25Joe's philosophy is to never be outworked.
06:28His political life actually began when he was about the age of 13 when his mom would drive him to swim practice with the voice of Rush Limbaugh booming over the radio.
06:37Later in ninth grade, he scored bonus points for world history class for going to a Vice President Dan Quayle event, and that's when he really got hooked.
06:47Joe's a family man.
06:48He's a man of faith.
06:49He knows what's important.
06:51He grew up one of six children and has a twin sister.
06:54And actually, the sister brigade, where are the Grutter girls, they're here, Kelly, Jackie, and Sally, they showed up last night to support Joe.
07:02His brothers, Tim and Steve, are with him in spirit.
07:05His wife, Sydney, is also here with us today.
07:08Where are you, Sydney?
07:09They have three children together.
07:11Joe and Sydney actually met working on a congressional campaign.
07:15At one point, Joe asked for a pay raise.
07:18They promptly said, no, Joe, it's not in the budget.
07:21And he said, well, instead, could I have this desk next to Sydney?
07:26Joe got the desk, obviously.
07:29As you heard Chairman Watley say so eloquently yesterday and today, Joe is President Trump's pick to lead the RNC.
07:36He's the right man at the right time to help every state replicate the success we've had in Florida.
07:42As Joe goes forward to lead our organization, he will need our support and prayers.
07:48So I'm going to start now, and I want to bestow an Irish blessing upon Joe.
07:53In homage to your dad, who flew B-52 bombers in Vietnam, may the strength of God pilot you.
08:01In honor of your mom, who's watching and loving you from heaven, may the angels surround you.
08:06May the wisdom of God instruct you, may the hand of God protect you, may the word of God direct you,
08:13and may God give you the strength to face every day and know you never walk alone.
08:18Go get him, Joe.
08:19The nomination of Joe Gruders for Chairman of the Republican National Committee has been moved and seconded.
08:41Since there are no other candidates who qualify under Rule 5C, nominations are now closed.
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