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11:00 a.m. — Trump takes questions from reporters before trip: President Donald Trump took questions from reporters on the White House lawn before departing for Southwest Florida.
10:30 a.m. — Doors open at Alico Arena: Doors have opened at FGCU’s Alico Arena ahead of President Donald Trump’s scheduled campaign rally in Fort Myers.
10:00 a.m. — Crowds gather outside Alico Arena: People lined up outside the arena ahead of the rally.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA (WINK) — President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Fort Myers on Friday for a campaign rally supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, bringing a high-profile political event to Southwest Florida less than two weeks before Election Day.
The rally is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Alico Arena on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University. Doors are scheduled to open at 10:30 a.m.
Check back on this page for live coverage of the president’s visit.
WINK News will have reporters covering the presidential visit and the key issues driving the midterm elections, including the high-profile race for Florida governor between Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly.
Why Trump is coming to Southwest Florida
Trump’s visit comes as Republicans work to maintain political momentum ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The president has been campaigning for Republican candidates around the country, making his appearance in Fort Myers part of the party’s final stretch of campaigning before voters head to the polls.
Trump campaigned in Greenville, North Carolina, earlier this week, appearing alongside Republican candidates in a state with competitive congressional races.
RELATED: Why Fort Myers? The politics behind President Trump’s Southwest Florida rally
In Florida, the rally puts a national spotlight on the race for governor, where Donalds, a Republican congressman backed by Trump, is facing Democrat David Jolly.
Byron Donalds (pictured on the left) and David Jolly (pictured on the right)
Jolly campaigned with former President Bill Clinton in South Florida earlier this week. Clinton encouraged voters to give Jolly a chance, while casting Donalds as an ally of Trump. The Democratic Governors Association also announced a $1 million investment in Jolly’s campaign, according to the Associated Press.
SEE ALSO: Bill Clinton joins David Jolly on campaign trail ahead of Florida governor’s race
The race is unfolding in a state where Democrats have not won a gubernatorial election since 1994.Â
Trump’s last Fort Myers visit was in 2023
Trump last visited Fort Myers in April 2023, when he attended an event at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center.
He later visited Alligator Alcatraz, the former state-run immigration detention facility in Ochopee, in July 2025.Â
White House Photo
WINK News will continue updating this story as the event unfolds. Follow WINK News on air and at WINKNews.com for live coverage and the latest from the event.