November 5, 2025 • 15 mins
Twenty-three years in the Army as a decorated hero and a member of the Special Forces. Jay Collins was a State Senator before being tabbed as Florida's Lt. Governor. But the question everyone wants to know is whether he is teeing up a run to replace term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis? Preston asked.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
All right, here we go.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It's the second hour show fifty four eighty eight of
The Morning Show with Preston Scott. Great to be with you,
Jose over there in Studio one A. I am here
in Studio one B, and I am joined by the
Lieutenant Governor of the Sunshine State, former State Senator Jay Collins.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Welcome to the studio.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
How are you.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I'm good, Preston. How are you in to day?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
I am I'm doing great. I've been kind of tickled
at having this opportunity to have you in the house
and hang out with us for a little bit. We
were just talking. Give me your snapshot reaction to what
we just saw happen with the largest state city in
the America going socialist. And it wasn't like they didn't
(00:42):
know right first off, it's heartbreaking.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
How on earth, of all cities in the United States
of America do we have to learn that lesson in
New York City? How it just boggles my mind. Nine
to eleven wasn't that long ago. We know the issues
with socialism. It leads to communism with it out a
century ago, right, That's the fact socialism leads to communism.
(01:05):
We know the outcome has always been the same. Why
on earth that we have to try it in the
city that never sleeps right there in New York City.
My goodness, gracious, heartbreaking, but it's a good lesson. Just
because you're on top now doesn't mean you're on down
the road. It's all gas, no breaks, work hard, reach
the people, do good things, make a difference. As a
Republican Party, Let's keep our eyes focused and move forward
(01:28):
from here.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
The big problem I have with our party, and I
boycotted the Republican Party for about ten years. I caucussed
with him, you know, as just an independent guy out there.
But my problem is that Republicans don't know how to message.
And I look at New York City as now exhibit A.
(01:51):
We should have been messaging the moment Joe Biden took
office and signed the paper on day one killing oil
in America. We should have been messaging because I feel
like the Republican Party tries to win elections instead of
winning hearts and minds, and they don't do it very well.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Yeah, you know, messaging matters, right, How we explain the story? Yeah,
I think you also have to reach out into the
different demographics within that gen z far different than gen
X yep, far different than the baby boomers. Right. You
have to reach them on different platforms, different key messages,
and you can't just shoot out one message. I think
it's going to work for everybody. You can't do that.
You can't abandon one group. You got to work two, three,
(02:30):
four times harder. But you know what, it's worth it.
To your point, you have to reach people for who
they are, how they are, where they are.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Let's go back to your personal ethos. I mentioned to
your team I wanted to just kind of have a
let's get to know Jay Collins a little bit. How
did you end up making the decision to join the military.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Well, I'll tell you what. I was raised and adopted
by my grandparents. I was born to a sixteen year
old kid. We really didn't have anything. I'm the son
of a failed farmer and growing up my dad, who
was a veteran World War two veteran. You know, he
raised me on America, American values, America has a place
to lead, America makes a difference. We can make a difference.
Those are the things he taught me. He never talked
(03:11):
about the war, never talked about his personal experiences, but
he did talk about big things. Yeah, and I'm so grateful.
You know, he didn't pollute it with the negativity. I learned,
and I grew up believing in America. And that was
the eighties, right, Ronald Reagan, Rambo Rocky. It was all
America all the time. So I had that in my heart.
And after I graduated high school, went to college for
a couple of years, realized the NFL probably was not
(03:33):
going to be my dream choice. Right. I wasn't good enough,
tall enough, fast enough. Other than that, you had a shot.
I checked every box after that, right, and you know
it just I came to reality that I needed more
season in life. I joined the Army, fell in love
with it. I truly did. Why Why Because it was kinetic.
You did things each day, you moved out, but you
(03:54):
left an outsized imprint on things around you. And it
was a meritocracy. If I worked hard, I showed up early.
I did more work, I got more results. The results
paid off. I did better, I got promoted.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Would you have joined the military twenty years later the
way that it had evolved and become woke?
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, now, very very doubtful. It wasn't a meritocracy. We
have gone through the EBB and flow of promoting person
based off demographics or race or creed or color, or
whatever the case may be. The military has to be
a meritocracy. Their job in the Department of War is singular.
It is to fight and win America's wars abroad. That's it.
That's their job. They have to do that. And secondary
(04:36):
to that and implied is that you have to protect
the will of the American people. You have to protect
the American people here at home. That means you have
to be out there doing things. So if you're not
training to fight, training to win, you're not doing the
right things. But I loved it because I could do more,
I could be successful, and I could continue to grow
at my own pace. That's why I love Special Operations.
When I got into it.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Back with the Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, we were just
talking about the current generation and what that looks like.
I think Charlie Kirk played a large role in what's
going on with young people today too. You know, he
was a big brother to a whole lot of people.
And like you say, I mean, for the first time ever,
the numbers say this is the first generation in history
(05:20):
where young men are leading the return to church, not women.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
It's incredible to see. First off, you know, God rest Charlie,
right yep. Second, I can't imagine how his wife feels.
I can't imagine his children growing up in seeing their
dad murdered executed that way. It breaks my heart. It
really does, just as a dad, to have to have
that out there on the internet, on the web, and
(05:46):
then people mocking it.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Jay I asked this question of everybody in the days
subsequent to Charlie's killing, what was worse his assassination or
the celebration of it.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Well, by far the cell. Yet you know what, you
got to take that rage and turn it into resolve. Yeah,
Charlie's movement, this civil discourse concept, it's the very best
of American values. It's why we have a republic. We
can protect that freedom of speech, protect your own unique thoughts,
and we can have a discussion. His courage to go
out there, even though he had threats incredible. People ask well,
(06:21):
why are we recognizing a Republican in all these cities.
You're recognizing an American citizen who put his neck on
the line every day to encourage the very most fundamental
part of our republic, civil discourse, communication between people who
didn't agree. He stood there and he had conversations with
people who didn't agree with him. He went into the
lions den every single day. That is an incredible thing,
(06:42):
and I'm so proud of what he did. But look
at the growth in the chapters across this country and
across the world. If they say one man can't make
a difference, here's exhibit a right, incredible, incredible legacy gone
too soon.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
What I loved and admired most about Charlie, beyond his
personal commitment to Christ and how he expressed it, was
his ability to take the apologetic. He could defend his beliefs.
He had ownership of them. And one of the things
that I always challenge our listeners is, you know, don't
parrot what I say, or what a guest says, or
what an article says. Own it, learn it, have it.
(07:18):
I've got to believe that a lot of your upbringing
by your family and then as a member of the military,
has created a personal ethos for you. You don't need notes.
You're not sitting here with a book. I've had politicians
over the years have books in front of them to
turn to the page to answer the right question the
right way.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Yeah, I don't need a book. I know who I am.
I have been myself unapologetically every single day. I learned
my ethos and I tested it in combat. But you know,
here's one thing I love, and I always say this,
God's plan is so much bigger than ours. But I
wanted to be a Green Beret. I wanted to serve
our country, to protect our nation abroad on that ragged
edge of freedom out there in places where nobody ever
(07:58):
knew what we did. So my plan wasn't what it
is or now. I never dream to politics. I happened
to come here. Life brought me here. I'm unapologetically myself
because the fact is I learned these lessons from my dad.
I'm the son of a failed farmer. There's an acronym
that matters to me. It's as NF. A son never forgets.
You never forget where you come from. I'll never forget
(08:19):
losing our farm and how it changed my family and
my dad. I'll never forget the lessons in the military.
You know, when I buried people, when I had to
look one of my brother's wives in the face because
he passed away, serving our nation. We have a responsibility
to make that sacrifice matter, to make that sacrifice worthy
of what our nation is becoming and going to be.
And then we may promises to children who have to
(08:41):
live on without their dad, without their mom. We have
to make sure that we steward what our nation is.
You want to know why it's burned in, why there
are no notes, because every time you have that conversation,
it echoes through your brain, through your soul, through the
reality of who you are. Those things matter. Those are
incredibly hard to sit there and have a conversation with
a little kid who lost his dad and is never
(09:02):
going to see that man again. Heartbreaking, But we got
to make this nation worthy of that sacrifice.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Jay Collins with me, Lieutenant governor for the Sunshine State,
formerly a state senator. What's been the biggest transition from
being a state senator now being an LG.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Well, I'll tell you what. I have sixty seven counties now.
I got around the state quite a bit as a
state senator working on veterans law enforcement issues. I travel
pretty well in eighty five days. I think it is
something like that that I've been in office as a
Lieutenant governor I've had three days without multiple events. I
have hit three to ten counties per week. We're out
there hustling, but you know, it was actually a positive thing.
(09:46):
It is amazing to see the small differences across the state,
but county to county to county. For the most part,
people want the same things. I get asked about property
tax I get asked about insurance, I get asked about
table top kitchen table issues. Yeah, what's going to make
it better in my community? And it's good to see
that resonated. Sometimes you get caught in this Tallahassee bubble
a little bit and everything seems a little skewed. It
(10:09):
is such a blessing to get out there and just
see people for who they are, how they are, where
they are. Keep bringing that up because it's so important. Man,
it's the tree in the forest. You're going to have
your eyes on what matters, and that's our people.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Let's go ahead and address the issue that everyone's wondering.
When you were named lieutenant governor, I made this statement
on the program. I said, well, that tells me Casey's
not running that because the governor has put someone in
that perhaps is going to make a run to follow
(10:42):
him as governor. So Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, what's the
future look like?
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Well, as I've said over and over, and it makes
me laugh because I put the same story in, the
same message out every single time. Because I'm trying to
be completely transparent. I went through a long process when
I jumped into this. I don't want a politician. I
sure don't want myself to be this way who just
jumps in here and thinks it's all about me. What's
good for me? How am I going to do on this?
(11:08):
What's my next clique? I had to check with my
family first. Are we going to be able to survive
all of this onslaught of information and movement and everything?
Are they going to be Okay? My son's my wife
as lieutenant governor, as lieutenant governa but also if we
decide to make a run for governor, I mean that spotlight,
Oh it's different, hot right. The next was that community
(11:30):
around me, you know, my support structure, the people who
are there for my wife and my kids. If I'm
out there doing my thing across the state, I better
make sure that's tucked in, plugged in, ready to roll
and there are no problems. The last thing is this.
I am not a typical politician. I will never be
the person whose politics is normal. I will never do
be business as normal. I know how to lead. I've
been in politics for three and a half years and
(11:52):
understand that I'm the Lieutenant governor of Florida, the twenty
first lieutenant governor. I am on the precipice of finalizing
my decision to run for governor of the Free State
of Florida. And I've been in politics for less than
four years. Stunning. What does that tell you? People want leadership.
They don't want politicians, they don't want businesses normal. They
want someone who can know what they're talking about but
(12:13):
echo in their heart. I call it the political double
tab the head and the heart. You have to know
what you're talking about. You've got to be someone who's trustworthy.
And I wanted to see as I went around the state,
how does my brand of leadership on the ground, in
your face, present, doing things on the ground, how does
it resonate with people? And I'll tell you what, It's
been incredibly positive, so fark it truly has. So we're
(12:34):
finalizing our choice and I'll tell you what here in
the next few weeks. Probably. I'm not going to give
a date. I don't have a hard date. We're going
to finalize that and we'll put it out there. But
I can promise you this should I jump in, not
afraid of competition, not afraid to work. Anything great in
life is earned, it's not given. You have to earn
the vote in Florida. You got to put the time in.
(12:56):
And you've seen the pace that I'm moving at right now.
I'm relentless in the pursuit of excellence. I believe Florida
is the conservative proving grounds of America. What we do
here resonates across the nation. Florida will continue to lead.
And my role right now is to have Governor Desteniss
six to have his back, to fight beside him and
do what's best for the people of Florida. I'm gonna
(13:17):
do that every day, all day, twice on Sunday, and
we're gonna work relentlessly period. End of story. We'll announce.
If we announce here in the next little bit, you know,
give it some time. We'll come back to you. Make sure.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Is there one singular deciding factor that will push it
one way or the other?
Speaker 1 (13:36):
No, not really, You know. To me, I think if
you focus on one part of it, you're missing the
tree in the forest. You're focusing on the tree a
little bit. Right. We took a long, laborious process and
something I probably was remiss and didn't talk about enough.
I need to get in there and do the job.
For the first sixty days. Why on earth am I
gonna go try out for something else And I haven't
(13:57):
done the job and shown that I'm even competent as
lieutenant governor. I've been at this for sixty days before
I really started getting serious into digging around on this.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
You could argue, though, that the governor has placed you
in positions to maybe demonstrate some qualities that maybe he
didn't put the previous your predecessor in as many high
profile spots.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Maybe that's true, maybe it's not. But I can also
tell you that I've leaned in and done things. And
Jeannette was a great lieutenant. She's a delightful lady. She's
an incredible human being. I don't think it's one or
the other. You take what you get and you do
the most you can with it. But I wanted to
show people that, hey, look, if I'm going to really
look at this next gig. I want to show you
I'm competent what I'm doing. I'm going to go out
there and hustle. I'm gonna go out there and perform
(14:40):
and let them know that the people or where my
eyes are, I'm taking my eyes forward. I'm trying to work.
I'm trying to prove that I'm competent, capable, and I'm
ready to lead if I decided to do that, and
I thought it was important to do that. So where
we are now, it's just finalizing that piece. It's a
big decision. I don't want to take it lightly, and
I don't want to ever think that Floridians believe that I,
(15:02):
as a politician, care more about my ego than their
well being. That's the wrong equation. It's not a me thing,
it's a wee thing. Am I. If I decide to
run the best leader for the state of Florida, that's
really the discussion before jumping in. And if that's all
thumbs up, everything else is green, we we'll announce and
we'll run forward. If it's not, we'll come forward and
(15:22):
say something quite the contrary, like hey, look, good luck
to everybody decided to bow wowed. Here's our why, but
nonetheless it's all about the people of Florida.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Thank you for serving our country, thank you for serving
our state. Thanks for coming in.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
I appreciate you, Preston, Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Absolutely my pleasure. Jay Collins the LG and our guest
here in the Morning Show with Preston scat
All right, here we go.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It's the second hour show fifty four eighty eight of
The Morning Show with Preston Scott. Great to be with you,
Jose over there in Studio one A. I am here
in Studio one B, and I am joined by the
Lieutenant Governor of the Sunshine State, former State Senator Jay Collins.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Welcome to the studio.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
How are you.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I'm good, Preston. How are you in to day?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
I am I'm doing great. I've been kind of tickled
at having this opportunity to have you in the house
and hang out with us for a little bit. We
were just talking. Give me your snapshot reaction to what
we just saw happen with the largest state city in
the America going socialist. And it wasn't like they didn't
(00:42):
know right first off, it's heartbreaking.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
How on earth, of all cities in the United States
of America do we have to learn that lesson in
New York City? How it just boggles my mind. Nine
to eleven wasn't that long ago. We know the issues
with socialism. It leads to communism with it out a
century ago, right, That's the fact socialism leads to communism.
(01:05):
We know the outcome has always been the same. Why
on earth that we have to try it in the
city that never sleeps right there in New York City.
My goodness, gracious, heartbreaking, but it's a good lesson. Just
because you're on top now doesn't mean you're on down
the road. It's all gas, no breaks, work hard, reach
the people, do good things, make a difference. As a
Republican Party, Let's keep our eyes focused and move forward
(01:28):
from here.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
The big problem I have with our party, and I
boycotted the Republican Party for about ten years. I caucussed
with him, you know, as just an independent guy out there.
But my problem is that Republicans don't know how to message.
And I look at New York City as now exhibit A.
(01:51):
We should have been messaging the moment Joe Biden took
office and signed the paper on day one killing oil
in America. We should have been messaging because I feel
like the Republican Party tries to win elections instead of
winning hearts and minds, and they don't do it very well.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Yeah, you know, messaging matters, right, How we explain the story? Yeah,
I think you also have to reach out into the
different demographics within that gen z far different than gen
X yep, far different than the baby boomers. Right. You
have to reach them on different platforms, different key messages,
and you can't just shoot out one message. I think
it's going to work for everybody. You can't do that.
You can't abandon one group. You got to work two, three,
(02:30):
four times harder. But you know what, it's worth it.
To your point, you have to reach people for who
they are, how they are, where they are.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Let's go back to your personal ethos. I mentioned to
your team I wanted to just kind of have a
let's get to know Jay Collins a little bit. How
did you end up making the decision to join the military.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Well, I'll tell you what. I was raised and adopted
by my grandparents. I was born to a sixteen year
old kid. We really didn't have anything. I'm the son
of a failed farmer and growing up my dad, who
was a veteran World War two veteran. You know, he
raised me on America, American values, America has a place
to lead, America makes a difference. We can make a difference.
Those are the things he taught me. He never talked
(03:11):
about the war, never talked about his personal experiences, but
he did talk about big things. Yeah, and I'm so grateful.
You know, he didn't pollute it with the negativity. I learned,
and I grew up believing in America. And that was
the eighties, right, Ronald Reagan, Rambo Rocky. It was all
America all the time. So I had that in my heart.
And after I graduated high school, went to college for
a couple of years, realized the NFL probably was not
(03:33):
going to be my dream choice. Right. I wasn't good enough,
tall enough, fast enough. Other than that, you had a shot.
I checked every box after that, right, and you know
it just I came to reality that I needed more
season in life. I joined the Army, fell in love
with it. I truly did. Why Why Because it was kinetic.
You did things each day, you moved out, but you
(03:54):
left an outsized imprint on things around you. And it
was a meritocracy. If I worked hard, I showed up early.
I did more work, I got more results. The results
paid off. I did better, I got promoted.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Would you have joined the military twenty years later the
way that it had evolved and become woke?
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, now, very very doubtful. It wasn't a meritocracy. We
have gone through the EBB and flow of promoting person
based off demographics or race or creed or color, or
whatever the case may be. The military has to be
a meritocracy. Their job in the Department of War is singular.
It is to fight and win America's wars abroad. That's it.
That's their job. They have to do that. And secondary
(04:36):
to that and implied is that you have to protect
the will of the American people. You have to protect
the American people here at home. That means you have
to be out there doing things. So if you're not
training to fight, training to win, you're not doing the
right things. But I loved it because I could do more,
I could be successful, and I could continue to grow
at my own pace. That's why I love Special Operations.
When I got into it.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Back with the Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, we were just
talking about the current generation and what that looks like.
I think Charlie Kirk played a large role in what's
going on with young people today too. You know, he
was a big brother to a whole lot of people.
And like you say, I mean, for the first time ever,
the numbers say this is the first generation in history
(05:20):
where young men are leading the return to church, not women.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
It's incredible to see. First off, you know, God rest Charlie,
right yep. Second, I can't imagine how his wife feels.
I can't imagine his children growing up in seeing their
dad murdered executed that way. It breaks my heart. It
really does, just as a dad, to have to have
that out there on the internet, on the web, and
(05:46):
then people mocking it.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Jay I asked this question of everybody in the days
subsequent to Charlie's killing, what was worse his assassination or
the celebration of it.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Well, by far the cell. Yet you know what, you
got to take that rage and turn it into resolve. Yeah,
Charlie's movement, this civil discourse concept, it's the very best
of American values. It's why we have a republic. We
can protect that freedom of speech, protect your own unique thoughts,
and we can have a discussion. His courage to go
out there, even though he had threats incredible. People ask well,
(06:21):
why are we recognizing a Republican in all these cities.
You're recognizing an American citizen who put his neck on
the line every day to encourage the very most fundamental
part of our republic, civil discourse, communication between people who
didn't agree. He stood there and he had conversations with
people who didn't agree with him. He went into the
lions den every single day. That is an incredible thing,
(06:42):
and I'm so proud of what he did. But look
at the growth in the chapters across this country and
across the world. If they say one man can't make
a difference, here's exhibit a right, incredible, incredible legacy gone
too soon.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
What I loved and admired most about Charlie, beyond his
personal commitment to Christ and how he expressed it, was
his ability to take the apologetic. He could defend his beliefs.
He had ownership of them. And one of the things
that I always challenge our listeners is, you know, don't
parrot what I say, or what a guest says, or
what an article says. Own it, learn it, have it.
(07:18):
I've got to believe that a lot of your upbringing
by your family and then as a member of the military,
has created a personal ethos for you. You don't need notes.
You're not sitting here with a book. I've had politicians
over the years have books in front of them to
turn to the page to answer the right question the
right way.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Yeah, I don't need a book. I know who I am.
I have been myself unapologetically every single day. I learned
my ethos and I tested it in combat. But you know,
here's one thing I love, and I always say this,
God's plan is so much bigger than ours. But I
wanted to be a Green Beret. I wanted to serve
our country, to protect our nation abroad on that ragged
edge of freedom out there in places where nobody ever
(07:58):
knew what we did. So my plan wasn't what it
is or now. I never dream to politics. I happened
to come here. Life brought me here. I'm unapologetically myself
because the fact is I learned these lessons from my dad.
I'm the son of a failed farmer. There's an acronym
that matters to me. It's as NF. A son never forgets.
You never forget where you come from. I'll never forget
(08:19):
losing our farm and how it changed my family and
my dad. I'll never forget the lessons in the military.
You know, when I buried people, when I had to
look one of my brother's wives in the face because
he passed away, serving our nation. We have a responsibility
to make that sacrifice matter, to make that sacrifice worthy
of what our nation is becoming and going to be.
And then we may promises to children who have to
(08:41):
live on without their dad, without their mom. We have
to make sure that we steward what our nation is.
You want to know why it's burned in, why there
are no notes, because every time you have that conversation,
it echoes through your brain, through your soul, through the
reality of who you are. Those things matter. Those are
incredibly hard to sit there and have a conversation with
a little kid who lost his dad and is never
(09:02):
going to see that man again. Heartbreaking, But we got
to make this nation worthy of that sacrifice.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Jay Collins with me, Lieutenant governor for the Sunshine State,
formerly a state senator. What's been the biggest transition from
being a state senator now being an LG.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Well, I'll tell you what. I have sixty seven counties now.
I got around the state quite a bit as a
state senator working on veterans law enforcement issues. I travel
pretty well in eighty five days. I think it is
something like that that I've been in office as a
Lieutenant governor I've had three days without multiple events. I
have hit three to ten counties per week. We're out
there hustling, but you know, it was actually a positive thing.
(09:46):
It is amazing to see the small differences across the state,
but county to county to county. For the most part,
people want the same things. I get asked about property
tax I get asked about insurance, I get asked about
table top kitchen table issues. Yeah, what's going to make
it better in my community? And it's good to see
that resonated. Sometimes you get caught in this Tallahassee bubble
a little bit and everything seems a little skewed. It
(10:09):
is such a blessing to get out there and just
see people for who they are, how they are, where
they are. Keep bringing that up because it's so important. Man,
it's the tree in the forest. You're going to have
your eyes on what matters, and that's our people.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Let's go ahead and address the issue that everyone's wondering.
When you were named lieutenant governor, I made this statement
on the program. I said, well, that tells me Casey's
not running that because the governor has put someone in
that perhaps is going to make a run to follow
(10:42):
him as governor. So Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, what's the
future look like?
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Well, as I've said over and over, and it makes
me laugh because I put the same story in, the
same message out every single time. Because I'm trying to
be completely transparent. I went through a long process when
I jumped into this. I don't want a politician. I
sure don't want myself to be this way who just
jumps in here and thinks it's all about me. What's
good for me? How am I going to do on this?
(11:08):
What's my next clique? I had to check with my
family first. Are we going to be able to survive
all of this onslaught of information and movement and everything?
Are they going to be Okay? My son's my wife
as lieutenant governor, as lieutenant governa but also if we
decide to make a run for governor, I mean that spotlight,
Oh it's different, hot right. The next was that community
(11:30):
around me, you know, my support structure, the people who
are there for my wife and my kids. If I'm
out there doing my thing across the state, I better
make sure that's tucked in, plugged in, ready to roll
and there are no problems. The last thing is this.
I am not a typical politician. I will never be
the person whose politics is normal. I will never do
be business as normal. I know how to lead. I've
been in politics for three and a half years and
(11:52):
understand that I'm the Lieutenant governor of Florida, the twenty
first lieutenant governor. I am on the precipice of finalizing
my decision to run for governor of the Free State
of Florida. And I've been in politics for less than
four years. Stunning. What does that tell you? People want leadership.
They don't want politicians, they don't want businesses normal. They
want someone who can know what they're talking about but
(12:13):
echo in their heart. I call it the political double
tab the head and the heart. You have to know
what you're talking about. You've got to be someone who's trustworthy.
And I wanted to see as I went around the state,
how does my brand of leadership on the ground, in
your face, present, doing things on the ground, how does
it resonate with people? And I'll tell you what, It's
been incredibly positive, so fark it truly has. So we're
(12:34):
finalizing our choice and I'll tell you what here in
the next few weeks. Probably. I'm not going to give
a date. I don't have a hard date. We're going
to finalize that and we'll put it out there. But
I can promise you this should I jump in, not
afraid of competition, not afraid to work. Anything great in
life is earned, it's not given. You have to earn
the vote in Florida. You got to put the time in.
(12:56):
And you've seen the pace that I'm moving at right now.
I'm relentless in the pursuit of excellence. I believe Florida
is the conservative proving grounds of America. What we do
here resonates across the nation. Florida will continue to lead.
And my role right now is to have Governor Desteniss
six to have his back, to fight beside him and
do what's best for the people of Florida. I'm gonna
(13:17):
do that every day, all day, twice on Sunday, and
we're gonna work relentlessly period. End of story. We'll announce.
If we announce here in the next little bit, you know,
give it some time. We'll come back to you. Make sure.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Is there one singular deciding factor that will push it
one way or the other?
Speaker 1 (13:36):
No, not really, You know. To me, I think if
you focus on one part of it, you're missing the
tree in the forest. You're focusing on the tree a
little bit. Right. We took a long, laborious process and
something I probably was remiss and didn't talk about enough.
I need to get in there and do the job.
For the first sixty days. Why on earth am I
gonna go try out for something else And I haven't
(13:57):
done the job and shown that I'm even competent as
lieutenant governor. I've been at this for sixty days before
I really started getting serious into digging around on this.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
You could argue, though, that the governor has placed you
in positions to maybe demonstrate some qualities that maybe he
didn't put the previous your predecessor in as many high
profile spots.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Maybe that's true, maybe it's not. But I can also
tell you that I've leaned in and done things. And
Jeannette was a great lieutenant. She's a delightful lady. She's
an incredible human being. I don't think it's one or
the other. You take what you get and you do
the most you can with it. But I wanted to
show people that, hey, look, if I'm going to really
look at this next gig. I want to show you
I'm competent what I'm doing. I'm going to go out
there and hustle. I'm gonna go out there and perform
(14:40):
and let them know that the people or where my
eyes are, I'm taking my eyes forward. I'm trying to work.
I'm trying to prove that I'm competent, capable, and I'm
ready to lead if I decided to do that, and
I thought it was important to do that. So where
we are now, it's just finalizing that piece. It's a
big decision. I don't want to take it lightly, and
I don't want to ever think that Floridians believe that I,
(15:02):
as a politician, care more about my ego than their
well being. That's the wrong equation. It's not a me thing,
it's a wee thing. Am I. If I decide to
run the best leader for the state of Florida, that's
really the discussion before jumping in. And if that's all
thumbs up, everything else is green, we we'll announce and
we'll run forward. If it's not, we'll come forward and
(15:22):
say something quite the contrary, like hey, look, good luck
to everybody decided to bow wowed. Here's our why, but
nonetheless it's all about the people of Florida.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Thank you for serving our country, thank you for serving
our state. Thanks for coming in.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
I appreciate you, Preston, Thanks for having me on.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Absolutely my pleasure. Jay Collins the LG and our guest
here in the Morning Show with Preston scat
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com