DeSantis expected to campaign for Trump after pair meet in Miami: sources
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis agreed to campaign on behalf of Donald Trump after the former rivals met Sunday morning as the ex-president looks to retake the White House, sources told The Post.
The two prominent Republicans met in Miami in an attempt to patch up a strained relationship, according to sources.
Insiders also told The Post that DeSantis is expected to raise money for the presumptive GOP nominee, on top of campaigning for him, after his own Oval Office ambitions came up short.
DeSantis, 45, suspended his campaign in January 2024 and quickly endorsed Trump over former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley when she was still in the race.
But in a February phone call to supporters, DeSantis said that some Trump campaign staffers had an ax to grind against him while claiming the criminal indictments against the former president helped him curry sympathy from primary voters.
He also asserted Trump, 77, would focus on “identity politics” when picking a running mate.
Trump’s campaign in response accused DeSantis of throwing cheap shots from afar. One campaign staffer even called DeSantis a “sad little man.”
The two GOP heavyweights were once allies following Trump’s endorsement of DeSantis when he first ran for Florida governor in 2018.
But as DeSantis prepped for a White House run, the warm relations chilled and transformed into a feud.
Trump labeled his political opponent “Ron DeSanctimonious” as DeSantis criticized aspects of Trump’s first term in office.
DeSantis has previously said he was not interested in serving as vice president to Trump.
The meeting between the pair on Sunday was first reported by the Washington Post.
The men spoke for several hours and were friendly after a mutual friend of theirs, Florida real estate investor and developer Steve Witkoff, set up the meeting, the newspaper reported.
The pair hadn’t spoken since the end of primary season, according to the Washington Post.
The meeting comes as Trump is on trial in Manhattan over an alleged hush money arrangement dating back to the 2016 presidential campaign.