Former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) met privately in Florida on Sunday in a meeting that was brokered to reportedly “bury the hatchet” after a messy Republican primary.
The Washington Post, which cited “people familiar with the matter,” reports that the surprise meeting “was orchestrated by Steve Witkoff, a Florida real estate investor and developer both men know, and he attended.” Sources say Witkoff called the Trump campaign and asked for him to meet with DeSantis. The meeting took place in Miami and was said to be “friendly.”
More from the Post:
Allies brokered the meeting in hopes of a potential détente between the two men, and Trump’s advisers hope DeSantis will tap his donor network to help raise significant sums of money for the general election, the people familiar with the matter said. Like others interviewed for this story, the people spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations.
The pair met for several hours and DeSantis agreed to help Trump.
Trump went after DeSantis even before the governor declared his run for president, dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” The former president accused DeSantis of being disloyal for running because Trump endorsed him during his 2018 run for governor. In 2022, Trump took shots at DeSantis just days before voters went to the polls to reelect him in a landslide.
The two men had reportedly not spoken since DeSantis dropped out of the GOP primary after coming up short in Iowa, where he had spent much of his time. The governor did endorse Trump on exiting.
“It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” DeSantis said in a video message. “They watched his presidency get stymied by relentless resistance, and they see Democrats using lawfare to this day to attack him.”
Team Trump continued to launch petty attacks on DeSantis, alienating many of his supporters — the Post reported that Gov. DeSantis “is widely loathed inside Trump’s orbit.” DeSantis went back to work in the state of Florida after the primary, stacking up even more legislative wins.
Détente with Trump could prove to be beneficial for DeSantis’s future political aspirations, as he is seen as a top choice for Republicans in 2028.
Sunday’s meeting prompted plenty of talk online about the possibility of Trump tapping DeSantis as his vice presidential nominee, though it’s unlikely.
Here’s a quick sampling of responses on that topic, as seen on the social media platform X:
Imagine if Governor DeSantis raised money for a voter registration operation that helps elect President Trump.
DeSantis would go down in history as having helped save the country.
— ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) April 28, 2024
Ron DeSantis needs to stay as far away from Donald Trump as possible. This can’t be stated enough. https://t.co/8NUgRGSEtc
— Unfiltered☢Boss (@Unfilteredboss1) April 28, 2024
To be clear, Trump needs DeSantis more than DeSantis needs Trump.
— Matt Paulus (@mdpaulus) April 28, 2024
I don’t want DeSantis to be Trump’s VP. I’m all for him helping fundraise down-ticket and off-setting the Trump drama, but I want him to stay as my governor. And I think it would actually hurt his 2028 chances.
— Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) April 29, 2024
The chances that Trump picks DeSantis for his VP are very slim. The #1 guiding factor: the VP MUST NOT UPSTAGE Trump.
Unless Trump is REALLY desperate, I still assert that Tim Scott with the the VP nominee.
— Justin Hart (@justin_hart) April 29, 2024
I heard Trump, with tears in his eyes, was begging DeSantis to be his VP like a dog. Sad.
— Florida Dad (@FloridadadD) April 28, 2024
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
- ‘Chunky’ anti-ICE protester gets body-slammed in NJ after throwing herself on ICE vehicle - June 14, 2025
- Jonathan Turley blasts Alex Padilla over ‘delusional’ take on his ‘disruptive act’ - June 13, 2025
- CNN’s Erin Burnett interjects race into Padilla being cuffed: Was it ‘because of how you look?’ - June 13, 2025
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.