Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis met in Miami on Sunday to discuss how to help Trump, the presumed Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election, win the election. According to reports from various media outlets like The Washington Post and Fox News, insiders revealed that Trump and DeSantis met in Miami on Sunday morning to discuss their cooperation during the election. Politico also reported that six insiders, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the meeting.
The gathering was arranged by Trump’s friend, Florida real estate broker Steve Witkoff. An official from Trump’s campaign team stated that it was a “very good meeting held at the request of Governor DeSantis”. This meeting marked the first conversation between DeSantis and Trump after DeSantis withdrew from the Republican presidential primary in January.
Following his withdrawal from the presidential race, DeSantis supported Trump in the Republican primary, but he has not appeared with the Republican presumptive nominee in any campaign events since then. Sources verified that during the hours-long meeting, DeSantis agreed to assist Trump in narrowing the fundraising gap between Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden, who is seeking re-election.
DeSantis won re-election by a large margin in 2022 and later launched his 2024 presidential campaign, building a strong network of wealthy donors. As the presidential campaign heats up, these connections may prove beneficial to Trump. Politico previously reported that DeSantis told his most loyal donors and supporters during a meeting earlier this month that he would help raise funds for Trump.
One of DeSantis’s three financial managers for his presidential campaign, Roy Bailey, stated, “This is a big step forward that is meaningful for Trump, DeSantis, and all Republicans. Governor DeSantis has a very strong volunteer financial team, and if we can add this team to help Trump, that is what we need to do – and what we want to do. It is important for everyone to unite and row in the same direction.”