Trump returns to campaign trail with rally in Florida alongside VP hopeful Marco Rubio: Live updates

Remarking on the amount of press attending his rally in Florida, Trump speculated that it was because of the anticipation surrounding his choice for vice president.

“I think they probably think I’m going to be announcing that Marco [Rubio] is going to be vice president, because that’s a lot of press. That’s a lot of press,” he said.

Florida Senator Rubio appeared ahead of Trump at the rally, which is taking place at the Trump National Doral Golf Club.

Speaking by the 10th hole of the Trump National Doral Golf Club, which he described as “one of the greatest golf courses on Earth,” Donald Trump challenged Joe Biden to another presidential debate later this week.

The former president laid into Biden’s performance on June 27, and said he had scored “even according to the fake news media, the most decisive and overwhelming defeat in the history of presidential debates.”

”Even CNN said as I walked off the stage that it was one of the greatest performances they’ve ever seen. But it was sort of easy, if you want to know the truth,” he told the cheering crowds.

“But don’t feel sorry for he’s a very bad guy. He weaponized government. Remember that is a very bad guy. Don’t feel sorry for. So tonight, I’m officially offering, Joe, the chance to redeem himself in front of the entire world.

“Let’s do another debate this week so that sleepy Joe Biden can prove to everyone all over the world that he has what it takes to be president. But this time, it will be man to man, no moderators, no holds barred, just name the place, any time.”

Trump went on to challenge Biden to an 18 hole golf match, something the two men clashed over in bizarre fashion during the debate.

“It will be among the most watched sporting events in history, maybe bigger than the Ryder Cup or even the Masters,” Trump said.

“I will even give Joe Biden 10 strokes a side. 10 strokes, that’s a lot. That means 20 strokes in case you don’t play golf. I will give him 10 strokes a side and if he wins, I will give the charity of his choice, any charity that he wants, $1 million.”

Project 2025 — a blueprint for Trump’s presidency spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and more than a dozen former Trump administration officials — is essentially a wishlist for his administration with plans to expand his executive authority, replace civil servants with ideologically aligned appointees, crush abortion rights and impose an anti-immigrant agenda, among other policies.

But the former president is trying to distance himself from the plan, claiming that he knows “nothing” about it or “who is behind it,” despite its authors coming from Trump’s White House and the GOP’s close ties to the group that launched it.

Alex Woodward looks at the details.

“Joe Biden is our nominee, he is not leaving this race, he is in this race and I support him,” Ocasio-Cortez told a group of reporters outside of the Capitol.

The New York rep’s assertion comes as Democratic lawmakers scramble to find consensus on whether or not to support Biden, 81, as the presidential nominee.

Donald Trump is due to host a rally in the Miami suburb of Doral on Tuesday night following several days of relative silence, since going toe-to-toe with Joe Biden on June 27.

The rally is due to kick off at 7pm ET.

Kelly Rissman wonders where the scrutiny of Donald Trump is in comparison to that lumped on Joe Biden.