Did you catch two Treasure Coast references Thursday at Republican National Convention?

The Republican National Convention may have been in Milwaukee where Donald Trump accepted his party’s presidential nomination, but close watchers of his speech noticed two big ties to the Treasure Coast.

First, country music singer and Martin County homeowner Jason Aldean appeared sitting next to Trump on the final night of the star-studded GOP convention that began Monday.

Jason Aldean makes RNC appearance

Aldean and his wife Brittany Kerr joined Trump in the MAGA friends and family box Thursday evening, hours before Trump accepted his party's nomination during a 90-minute speech.

The Aldeans have had ties with Trump for years, and the singer defended Trump on social media this year in the wake of the former president's criminal conviction.

After Trump survived an assassination attempt Saturday, Aldean shouted out Trump when performing his song, "Try That in a Small Town," at a concert.

“President Trump’s a friend of mine so I want to send this next song out to him,” Aldean said in social media footage from the concert. "We all know what’s going to happen come November, so it’s all good. Just goes to show you there’s a lot of (expletive) in the world, and that’s kind of what this song right here was about, so this one goes out to the pres.”

The RNC began Monday in Milwaukee and speakers including Trump's family, former aides and elected officials have used their time in the spotlight to praise Trump.

Jason Aldean ties to the Treasure Coast

In February 2022, Aldean spent $10.2 million for a mansion on Hutchinson Island that boasts 7,317 square feet, four bedrooms and six bathrooms on just under 1 acre. Amenities include an elevator, in-ground pool and jacuzzi.

The property was bought by The W Real Estate Trust, based in Nashville, according to the Martin County Property Appraiser's Office. That trust was the seller of Aldean's home on St. George Island in Franklin County.

Then in August 2023, he paid $2.68 million for the vacant 0.917-acre lot next to his oceanfront home, property appraiser records show.

Trump-nominated U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon praised in RNC speech

During Trump’s speech, given just days after he was shot Saturday at a political rally in Pennsylvania, he gave a special shout out to Alieen M. Cannon, the federal judge seated in Fort Pierce, who on Monday threw out the criminal classified documents case that was being prosecuted at the Alto Lee Adams Sr, federal courthouse downtown.

Trump bragged that the “highly respected” Cannon - who he nominated to the federal bench in the waning days of his presidency - threw out the charges against him because “the prosecutor and the fake documents case against me were totally unconstitutional,” according to multiple transcripts of Trump’s remarks.

Trump was charged with mishandling classified documents, including by willfully retaining national defense information after his presidency. Those documents allegedly included information on U.S. and foreign military capabilities.

What did Cannon rule in the documents case?

In her 93-page order, Cannon agreed with Trump’s lawyers that special council Jack Smith's appointment in the case by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022, violated a provision of the Constitution that requires “Officers of the United States” to be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Cannon wrote that Smith needed to be appointed that way unless Congress enacted a law that authorized the appointment.

Within hours of Cannon issuing her ruling, the Justice Department authorized an appeal by Smith, who in June 2023 brought criminal charges against Trump and two of his employees, Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira.

On Thursday, Smith’s team filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta.

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Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not,become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.