- Stories say Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis met in Florida to debate the previous president’s marketing campaign.
- DeSantis determined to assist Trump enhance his fundraising efforts, The Washington Publish reported.
- Florida actual property developer Steve Witkoff orchestrated the assembly, the Publish reported.
Like many GOP presidential contenders earlier than him, Ron DeSantis is bowing right down to Donald Trump.
Trump is seeking to DeSantis to assist along with his presidential marketing campaign fundraising — and DeSantis is open to it, The Washington Publish reported.
DeSantis and Trump met Sunday morning on the Shell Bay Membership close to Miami after not talking to one another because the finish of DeSantis’ marketing campaign in January, CNN reported. The pair engaged in a presidential marketing campaign rivalry that concerned a number of name-calling — particularly from the previous president.
The New York Occasions and Politico additionally reported on the assembly.
Earlier than DeSantis left the race in January, Trump zeroed in on his rival, mocking his identify and referring to him as “Ron DeSanctimonious” and, reportedly, “Meatball Ron,” which Trump has denied.
Trump has a historical past of getting his rivals in line behind him after some harsh burns. Throughout the 2016 main, Trump mocked the looks of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s spouse. Trump additionally helped unfold a false story that Cruz’s father handed out Fidel Castro pamphlets with Lee Harvey Oswald, the person who killed President John F. Kennedy.
Cruz later endorsed Trump for president.
Trump additionally mocked one other former main rival, making jokes about former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie‘s weight. Christie additionally got here round to endorsing Trump after bowing out.
Christie, who ran once more within the 2024 presidential marketing campaign, modified his tune this cycle and refused to endorse Trump after dropping out as soon as once more in January.
And when vocal Trump critic and former US Lawyer Normal Invoice Barr endorsed Trump for the 2024 ticket, he responded by mocking Barr whereas thanking him for the help.
In accordance with the Publish, though DeSantis endorsed Trump after dropping out of the GOP main, the pair had not spoken since. DeSantis “was stung” by how the previous president handled him in the course of the marketing campaign, the Publish wrote, citing individuals aware of the matter.
Nonetheless, the Publish reported that unnamed people near the Florida governor felt he wanted to make amends with the previous president as DeSantis appeared towards a possible 2028 bid.
One unnamed supply instructed the Publish that the deliberations between Trump and DeSantis on Sunday had been pleasant. DeSantis agreed to assist the president with fundraising for his presidential marketing campaign in opposition to Democratic rival President Joe Biden, the Publish reported.
One other nameless supply instructed the Publish that Florida actual property developer Steve Witkoff, who testified as an professional for Trump’s protection throughout his Manhattan fraud trial final yr, orchestrated the assembly between the distant pair.
Neither camp confirmed the assembly on social media.
Representatives for Trump, DeSantis, and Witkoff didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from Enterprise Insider.
