Trump Endorses Jon Maples in Florida State House Race

Trump backs businessman Jon Maples for Florida's 87th State House District, praising the candidate's economic agenda and pointing to support from local Palm Beach County allies.

First Published: August 3, 2026, 3:25 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump endorsed Jon Maples, a businessman running for Florida’s 87th State House District, calling him an America First Patriot in the race for the Palm Beach County-area seat.

Trump praised Maples as a civic leader and pointed to backing from local allies, including State Representative Meg Weinberger, in the message posted on truthsocial. The endorsement laid out a policy agenda spanning taxes, migration, election integrity and gun rights.

“Jon Maples has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” Trump wrote.

The endorsement extends Trump’s practice of intervening in down-ballot state races, where a single message can reshape a low-turnout primary and lift a lesser-known candidate to front-runner status.

Here is the full post on truthsocial: “It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Patriot, Jon Maples, who is running to represent the fantastic people of Florida’s 87th State House District! Jon is a very successful Businessman and Civic Leader, who is known and loved, and also endorsed by so many of my Palm Beach County friends, including by Great State Representative “MAGA” Meg Weinberger. As your next State Representative, Jon will fight tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Stop Migrant Crime, Advance Election Integrity, Support our Military, Veterans, and Law Enforcement, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment. Jon Maples has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” on August 3, 2026 at 7:12 PM ET.

This is Trump’s 32nd message released today, and the last post was 19 minutes ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 94 of his 488 posts over the last 30 days classified as Elections posts.

The endorsement carries clear stakes for the primary field. A Trump nod delivers name recognition, small-dollar donations and volunteer energy to Maples, while rival candidates lose the ability to claim the former president’s mantle. Weinberger, cited by Trump as a supporter, represents a neighboring Palm Beach County district and adds a local endorsement to the national one.

Florida’s 87th State House District sits in Palm Beach County, home to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and a region where the president maintains a dense network of political allies. State House members in Florida serve two-year terms and represent districts of roughly 180,000 residents each, giving individual endorsements outsized weight in compact contests.

For the average reader, a state legislative race decides who writes local tax, education and public-safety law, decisions that shape property taxes and school funding far more directly than most federal fights.

This has happened before. Trump has issued hundreds of endorsements across state and local races since 2022, and his backing has repeatedly proven decisive in Republican primaries, where his supporters make up a large share of the electorate. The pattern of down-ballot endorsements has become a defining feature of his political operation.

Voters in the district will make the next decision at the ballot box, though a date for the primary in this race has not been announced.

Presidential endorsements in state races are an old lever of American politics. Andrew Jackson championed loyal allies for state offices in the 1820s and 1830s to cement his coalition, and Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to purge disloyal Democrats in the 1938 primaries, targeting several incumbents. Most of Roosevelt’s targets survived their primaries, a reminder that presidential coattails at the state level have often frayed once voters weigh local concerns.