NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump met privately with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the weekend, marking a détente between the former rivals after a brutal Republican primary contest marked by insults and bruised egos, according to three people familiar with the discussion.
The meeting, which lasted three hours, was organized to help the men bury the hatchet and discuss possible joint fundraising efforts, according to one of the people, who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity to share details of the private meeting. . The governor, during the conversation, pledged to help Trump face President Joe Biden in the general election, the person said. It ended with the two shaking hands, said another.
The meeting, first reported by The Washington Post, was orchestrated by Florida real estate investor Steve Witkoff and took place at his Shell Bay Club in Hollywood, Florida.
Witkoff did not immediately respond to a request for comment made through his office.
On Monday, Trump said the two had “a great meeting yesterday” and that he was “very happy to have the full and enthusiastic support of Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida.”
“The conversation was mainly about how we would work together to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. The future of Florida was also discussed, which is AWESOME!” he wrote on his social media site. “I really appreciate Ron’s support in taking our country back from the hands of the worst president in American history.”
DeSantis has a deep network of donors from his runs for governor and president. He has amassed a huge war chest for his White House run, entering the race with $130 million in the bank.
Although he supported Trump when he dropped his bid for the Republican nomination in a video after failing to gain traction, DeSantis has yet to campaign or fundraise on Trump’s behalf. Instead, he sometimes goaded Trump, including responding to a news story about some Republicans in the Florida legislature who wanted to help fund Trump’s legal projects by posting: “But not the Florida Republican who wields the veto pen…”
The Republican Party primaries were marked by a fierce rivalry between the two men, who were once allies. Trump criticized DeSantis as disloyal and nicknamed him Ron “DeSanctimonious,” while DeSantis suggested Trump would lose again in November and said he has “lost control of his fastball” over the years.
DeSantis’ allies believe the Florida governor has a clear path to another presidential run if he wants to. But that path could be complicated by the persistence of hostilities in a party that overwhelmingly supports the former president, especially if he wins in November.
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Associated Press writer Thomas Beaumont contributed to this report from Des Moines.
