Duval County GOP delegate on Trump: 'He's not Hillary Clinton'

During the second day of the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump is expected to officially become the Republican presidential nominee.

The first day of the RNC was marked with protests within the party and accusations of plagiarism regarding Melania Trump's speech.

Local Republicans tell Action News Jax they are confident things will go smoothly despite a somewhat rocky start.

Florida delegates said it hasn't hurt their momentum. There's a lot of excitement and energy from everyone taking part in the convention. We spoke with a man who once ran against Trump but now says he's the right person for the job.

A one-time opponent to Donald Trump in the Republican primary, Dr. Ben Carson is now urging fellow Republicans to stand behind the presumptive nominee.

"I think Donald Trump is much more fiscally responsible," Carson said.

Carson spoke to a crowd of roughly 475 delegates and others from Florida. Carson said despite protests Monday from several members of the party who wanted a state by state roll call to speak out against Trump, Carson feels the party will stand united.

Samantha Manning: “Dr. Carson what do you say to the members of your party who have been pushing back against Donald Trump. We saw that happen yesterday. You yourself have been critical of him in the past as well.”

Carson: "You have not heard me demonizing Donald Trump. … That's not a part of what I do. And I think what we need to really start doing and what I hope that the press would really start doing, is recognizing that this country is in a lot of trouble."

Duval County delegates said they believe the key to reaching out to those Republicans who still oppose Trump is to focus on a win against the presumptive Democratic nominee in November.

"I think the number one thing is that he's not Hillary Clinton. And everywhere I go, even if people have a quibble here or a quibble there, they respect his commitment to leadership," said Susie Wiles, Duval County GOP delegate.

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"Hillary Clinton is talking about more taxes and more spending when we're already $19 trillion in debt," Carson said.

Fla. Gov. Rick Scott will speak before delegates at the convention Wednesday night. He said his message will be all about what he considers to be Trump's strength – creating jobs. Scott said he believes it will be the key issue for Floridians and he's confident Trump will win the state.

Manning: “The most recent poll that we've seen is showing Hillary Clinton with a roughly seven point lead to Donald Trump in the state of Florida. What needs to happen to rally enough support for Donald Trump in Florida?”

Scott: "Well let's all remember. My elections in 2010, 2014, I think every poll said I was going to lose. But I talked about what was important to Floridians. I talked about jobs."

And it's jobs that Scott believes will make the difference for voters in Florida.

"Donald Trump has a track record for jobs, building companies. I think he's going to win. I predict he's going to have a nice win in Florida," Scott said.

We asked Scott if he'd consider joining a Trump/Pence administration if the presumptive nominee wins in November.

Sam: “Would you consider a position in his cabinet or in his administration?”

Scott: "I've got a great job right now. I've got two-and-a-half more years left on this job. I want to finish my job here.”

Gov. Scott believes Trump’s push to fight ISIS and prioritize public safety will be key factors for local voters. Also slated to speak at the convention before the delegates is Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who many see as a rising star in Florida politics and in the party.

Cox Media Group