TAMPA, Fla. — President Donald Trump is wading into Florida's internal Republican politics, joining his endorsed candidate for governor in a competitive primary.
Trump held a rally in Tampa on Tuesday night in a show of support for U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, who faces off against state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the Florida GOP primary Aug. 28.
[ Read: Trump comes to Florida: When, where, how to go ]
Trump took the stage at the Florida State Fairgrounds shortly after 7 p.m. and spoke for more than an hour.
"He's tough, he's smart and he loves Florida and he loves our country and he's going to be your next governor -- Ron DeSantis," he said. "He's brilliant, a really smart cookie."
Trump also discussed the strong economy, among other things.
"The economy grew at 4.1 percent," he said.
[ Read: Florida governor won't be at Trump rally in Tampa ]
The rally took place on the same day as the beginning of the trial of Paul Manafort, the former campaign chief for Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign.
[ Watch: Livestream of Trump's Tampa rally ]
The trial is the first in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Channel 9's Christopher Heath covered the rally. Follow him on Twitter for a behind-the-scenes look at the rally, and watch his full report on Channel 9 Eyewitness News.
The Associated Press and USA Today contributed to this report.
Read: Election checklist: Who's running in Central Florida's big 2018 races