Special Poll
Former President Donald Trump had a private breakfast meeting with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Sunday, according to six insiders. The get-together was characterized as “nice” and “friendly” by one source, who also mentioned DeSantis’s intention to assist in fundraising efforts for Trump. The arrangement for the meeting, held in Florida, was facilitated by Steven Witkoff, a real estate company chairman and a mutual acquaintance of both parties.
Trump shared his enthusiasm about the meeting on Truth Social, stating, “We had a great meeting yesterday. The conversation mostly concerned how we would work closely together to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
A Trump campaign official revealed to NBC News that the initiative to organize this meeting came from DeSantis, who reached out through Witkoff two weeks prior, aiming to “bury the hatchet” and strategize on fundraising activities. This meeting follows DeSantis’s previous announcements during a private retreat in April, where he expressed his plans to support Trump’s fundraising efforts, as initially reported by NBC News.
The backdrop for their discussions was the Shell Bay Club, a golf club near Miami, where DeSantis was playing golf before joining Trump for breakfast.
The relationship between Trump and DeSantis has seen its tensions, particularly highlighted during the acrimonious Republican primary battle when DeSantis criticized Trump for focusing on personal vendettas rather than the broader interests of the country. In a December interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” DeSantis remarked, “If he’s running for personal retribution, that is not going to lead to what we need as a country. You got to be running for the American people and their issues, not about your own personal issues, and that is a distinction between us.”
Moreover, DeSantis has openly criticized Trump’s administration for not fulfilling its promise to “drain the swamp” and has taken a stand against Trump’s positions on issues like abortion, warning that Trump might betray the pro-life cause.
Despite endorsing Trump after suspending his own presidential campaign just days before the New Hampshire primary, DeSantis has repeatedly stated his disinterest in the vice presidency. “I don’t want to be VP. I don’t want to be in the Cabinet. I don’t want a TV show,” DeSantis declared in January, adding, “I’m in it to win it.” He further emphasized his stance in December, asserting, “I can tell you under any circumstance, I will not accept” the vice presidential nomination.