Bill Clinton looks frail during very rare public appearance as Democrats pull out big guns in Florida ahead of final election sprint
Former President Bill Clinton made his first public campaign appearance in Florida Tuesday night to stump alongside Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly at an interfaith event in Pembroke Park.
Clinton’s appearance, two weeks before Election Day, marks the first time the 42nd president has appeared on the campaign trail this cycle.
Clinton, now 80, quickly sought to address the elephant in the room, noting at the outset of his remarks that, ‘one blessing’ of his age ‘is you can say whatever you want,’ he said to laughter.
‘Of course, many people don’t care anymore,’ Clinton quipped.
Though Clinton often waits until later in the race to support a candidate, some have speculated that the eleventh-hour appearance might have more to do with his age.
His appearance comes as Jolly has narrowed the gap with his Republican challenger, Byron Donalds, who now holds just a single-digit lead in recent polls in their bid to succeed term-limited Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
A Jolly victory would be something of a seismic shift for Florida, which has not elected a Democrat to the governor’s mansion since 1994.
The tighter-than-expected race has attracted the attention of a number of well-known Democrats in the final sprint to Election Day, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and former ambassador Rahm Emanuel, who have also thrown their support behind Jolly’s campaign.
Former President Bill Clinton campaigns with Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly in Hollywood, Florida
Clinton spoke at an interfaith rally at the Koinonia Worship Center, where he addressed his age at the outset of the event
Former President Bill Clinton is seen at the Chicago Marathon earlier this month. Clinton, now 80, has often waited until later in the campaign cycle to stump on behalf of certain candidates
Bill Clinton speaks onstage alongside Hillary Clinton during the the Clinton Global Initiative 2026 Annual Meeting at New York Hilton Midtown in September
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is also expected to stump on Jolly’s behalf before Election Day.
Jolly, a former Republican, has described his campaign as ‘defying gravity,’ given Donalds’ significant fundraising advantage and the state’s deeply Republican base.
In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash earlier this month, Jolly said he believed his advantage was among ‘disaffected Republicans,’ including ‘DeSantis voters’ and ‘former MAGA voters who say they just can’t stick with Republicans this cycle.’
Jolly has sought to win over moderate and undecided voters in the state largely by playing up his moderate bona fides, and capitalizing on high prices, the rising costs of home insurance, and votes’ concerns about the rapid buildout of data centers, among other things.
