Over the past weekend, former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met privately in Miami on Sunday, April 28, 2024. The meeting, brokered by allies, ended a years-long chill between the presumptive Republican nominee and his onetime chief primary rival.
The meeting occurred in hopes of a potential truce between the two men. Also, Trump’s advisers hope DeSantis, with his donor network, will help raise significant sums of money for the general election. Per the Washington Post, those interviewed regarding the meeting spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations.
Sources say the two met for several hours, and DeSantis agreed to help Trump. Also, a source with direct knowledge said the meeting was friendly. This development comes as Trump and allied groups have lagged behind President Biden and his allies in the money chase.
On the other hand, DeSantis has built a vast network of wealthy patrons. Hence, his assistance would be valuable in helping Trump close the gap. Furthermore, DeSantis is popular with some Republican voters who are exhausted by Trump.
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Besides Trump’s apparent gains, there is also an incentive for DeSantis to form a closer relationship with Trump. People close to the Florida Governor have said it is untenable for him to continue to have a strained relationship with Trump. Republican donors also view DeSantis as weakened after he dropped out of the Presidential race.
According to sources, Steve Witkoff, a Florida real estate investor and developer both men know, orchestrated the meeting. Witkoff called the former President’s team and asked for him to meet with DeSantis, a person familiar with the matter said, per Washington Post.
For context, Trump and DeSantis had not spoken since the end of a bruising primary season. DeSantis dropped out after a disappointing finish in Iowa following months of attacks from Trump and his supporters. Conversely, DeSantis offered a video endorsing Trump when he left the race.
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“It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” DeSantis said in the video. “They watched his presidency face relentless resistance, and they see Democrats using lawfare to this day to attack him.”
However, DeSantis has not campaigned for Trump or helped him since and has made backhanded criticisms of Trump. According to sources close to the Florida Governor, DeSantis disliked how Trump and his team treated him during the primary.
After dropping out of the race, DeSantis said Trump had political baggage and criticized Trump’s team. “I think he’s got people in his inner circle who were part of our orbit years ago that we fired,” DeSantis said. “And I think some of that is they just have an ax to grind.” As expected, the comments angered Trump’s team.
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Following DeSantis’ comments, Chris LaCivita, a top aide to Trump, called DeSantis a “sad little man.” Like LaCivita, many in Trump’s camp loathe DeSantis. However, the former President is willing to be forgiving and remarkably transactional when it benefits him.
Although the two men have never been close, Trump endorsed DeSantis for Governor of Florida in 2018. During the Republican primary, Trump told advisers he wanted to hurt DeSantis for 2028. However, with his ongoing criminal trial and focus on Biden, the former President has bigger fish to fry.
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