MIAMI — Miami Mayor Francis Suarez would “strongly consider” a presidential run if he feels voters want a “next generation” Republican with a positive message — the most straightforward public comments yet from the 45-year-old mayor and private equity executive about whether he views himself as White House material.
Speaking to journalists with online political news outlet Punchbowl News during an event Monday in Little River, Suarez acknowledged that he is considering a campaign for president. He suggested he won’t be making a decision on a White House bid soon, but he’s watching how Republicans fare in the midterm elections to take voters’ temperature on what kind of GOP candidate they would nominate.
“It’s something I would consider given the right circumstances, given the right mood of the country,” he said. “We saw what the mood of the country was in ’16. People were angry. In ’20, it felt like they wanted anything but what they got in ’16. It remains to be seen what the country is going to want in 2024.”
On Monday, Suarez also said Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered a top 2024 GOP contender, and former President Donald Trump “both have the same lane” politically, which he said could be “problematic” because it could divide Republican votes. Suarez has openly disagreed with both DeSantis and Trump on some issues, particularly during the height of the pandemic.
“The former president is going to be very influential,” the mayor said. “Whether he decides to run or to be a kingmaker, I think, is going to be definitive, potentially, in the race.”
He described a recent encounter with Trump at a wedding, where a mutual friend introduced them.
“Somebody introduced me to him, and he said I was the hottest politician in America, after him,” Suarez said, drawing laughs from the hosts and audience. “I don’t know if he meant physical hot or if he meant I was getting a lot of buzz. But he was very nice, I have to say.”
Suarez was the featured guest at Monday’s event at Miami Ironside, part of a series of talks called “Road To Recovery” sponsored by Punchbowl News. Hosts Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman asked Suarez about the challenges faced by small business owners as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The conversation turned to the mayor’s future political aspirations, a topic Suarez has generally avoided discussing with journalists.
He has said little when he’s been endorsed by other political leaders or celebrities — Rapper Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) recently said he thought Suarez would make a good president. On Monday, he gave what seemed like an early stump speech when asked about his 2024 plans.
“I’m someone who is from the next generation. I’m someone who believes in a positive aspirational message. I’m someone who has had a track record of success and a formula for success,” he said. “I’m someone that understands this inflection between industrial to the digital economy. And I’m someone who I think can speak to a variety of minority communities that are going to be important if Republicans want to grow their base for a generation.”
Suarez’s political advisers have bought social media political ads in 2024 primary states using a 501(c)(4) for which the mayor is raising money, according to public records. The group, called Agenda for America, has purchased ads in Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire, according to advertising information on Meta’s website.
On Monday, Suarez gave no firm answer on his timeline for making a decision.
“I hate to give you the political answer, but I’m going to,” he said. “It’s a due diligence deliberative process that will come to fruition when it does, and when it does, I’ll make my decision. I know that’s very vague and not answering the question, but that’s probably going to be my answer for a while.”
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