BORDER/NATURAL DISASTER/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “Republican Sen. Rick Scott was just sworn into office on Tuesday -1-8-19], but by Thursday [1-10-19] he was on the phone with President Donald Trump lobbying him not to use Florida disaster money for a border wall. A concerned Scott, who delayed his start in Washington to serve the final days of his term as governor, called Trump on Thursday night after seeing reports that the White House may use disaster funding to build the southern border wall, according to a source familiar with the call. The call, which occurred when Trump arrived back in Washington from his trip to Texas, lasted between 10 and 15 minutes, according to this source, who said it was ‘mostly about the reports about Florida disaster funds’ and that Scott was seeking ‘clarification on the reporting.’ The conversation left Scott feeling better about the situation and he now has ‘no reason to believe that Florida disaster funds will be repurposed for any reason,’ the source said. Scott made a point on the campaign trail to make clear he would not always agree with Trump on every issue.”
–Elizabeth Landers, “Sen. Rick Scott lobbied Trump not to use Florida disaster money,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, January 11, 2019 5:15 pm