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Examining the value of presidential visits as Trump holds rally in Tampa

Tuesday marks Trump's first public visit to Tampa since getting elected.
Credit: Drew Angerer, Getty Images
President-elect Donald Trump looks on during a rally at the DeltaPlex Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Dec. 9, 2016.

TAMPA, Fla. – We're hours away from President Donald Trump touching down at Tampa International Airport.

Trump is scheduled to hold a rally Thursday evening at the Florida State Grounds for Republican candidate Ron DeSantis, who is vying for the Republican gubernatorial nomination against Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the Aug. 28 primary election.

Tuesday marks Trump's first public visit to Tampa since getting elected, but it'll be his 36th rally in Florida where he had a 1.2 percent winning margin over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Florida will be a key swing state yet again in the 2020 election.

According to a Gallup poll, Trump's approval ratings are at about 40 percent. Typically, when a president is that "quote-unquote" unpopular, local politicians tend to distance themselves while campaigning.

In October 2008 after the financial crisis, President George W. Bush had the lowest approval ratings of any president in modern history at about 25 percent. Bush spent plenty of time in the White House and not much time campaigning in local races.

In 2000 after the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal, Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore was very careful about campaigning with Clinton.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott – who is running against Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson for Senate – will be with Trump on Tuesday at Tampa Bay Technical High School. However, Scott will not attend Tuesday night's rally at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

Watch: 10News Brightside anchors Rob Finnerty and Jenny Dean break down President Trump's visit to Tampa

Related: With President Trump in Tampa, watch these routes for traffic backups

Previous: President Trump to sign technical training bill during Tampa visit

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