WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - While Florida Republicans waited for President Donald Trump in one corner of the state Saturday, Margaritaville king Jimmy Buffett took musical shots at him and Gov. Rick Scott in another as the state’s tight Senate and gubernatorial races reached the final weekend of campaigning.
Performing at a West Palm Beach campaign rally for U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who is being challenged by Scott, and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who is running for governor, Buffett urged more than 1,000 people to vote Democratic by tweaking the lyrics of two of his most popular songs.
First, to take a dig at Trump, he changed the wording of “Come Monday” to “Come Tuesday, things will change. Come Tuesday, we’re making a change. It’s been two insane years and it’s time to really switch gears...” The performance was 3 miles (5 kilometers) from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and frequent winter hangout.
Then using “Margaritaville,” he criticized Scott for the state’s environmental problems: “Some people say there’s a red tide to blame, but I know that it’s all Rick Scott’s fault.” Red tide algae have killed millions of fish off the southern Florida coasts over the last several months — it occurs naturally but some scientists say pollution makes it worse. Buffett, who lives in Palm Beach, is an outspoken environmentalist, founding the charity “Save the Manatee” in 1981.
Trump will appear later Saturday in Pensacola with Scott and former U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, who is running against Gillum. Trump also campaigned for Scott and DeSantis on Wednesday near Fort Myers as both races appear tight heading into Tuesday’s election. Nelson is seeking his fourth term, but Democrats have not won the governor’s race since 1994.
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