EGN NEWS DESK
Donald J. Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida met on Sunday morning, in accordance with three folks briefed on the assembly, the primary time they’ve completed so because the finish of a bruising Republican presidential main that Mr. Trump received whereas relentlessly attacking Mr. DeSantis.
The assembly — which came about in Hollywood, Fla., in accordance with one of many folks briefed on the assembly — was the results of a weekslong effort by a longtime good friend of Mr. Trump, the real-estate investor Steve Witkoff, who additionally has a relationship with Mr. DeSantis. The three males met alone in a personal room at Shell Bay, Mr. Witkoff’s growth and golf membership, in accordance with the individual briefed on the assembly.
Mr. Trump is seeking to bolster his fund-raising, a capability Mr. DeSantis demonstrated in the course of the main by tapping right into a community of well-funded donors. And Mr. DeSantis — who has made clear he’s excited by working for president once more in 2028 — is searching for to shed the unfavorable weight of his disappointing marketing campaign. The assembly was reported earlier by The Washington Post.
A spokesman for Mr. Trump didn’t reply to an e mail searching for remark. A spokesman for Mr. DeSantis declined to remark.
Mr. DeSantis is just not seen as a contender to hitch a Republican ticket with Mr. Trump, who’s each the presumptive Republican nominee and on trial in Manhattan on costs he falsified enterprise data to hide hush-money funds to a porn star within the 2016 election. Both Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis have made clear that such a pairing doesn’t curiosity both of them, and so they additionally reside in the identical state, which might make it an unconstitutional pairing until one in all them have been to maneuver out of Florida, which is unlikely to occur, particularly since Mr. DeSantis is presently the governor.
Mr. DeSantis had been seen as Mr. Trump’s chief intraparty competitors, and he was the goal the Trump staff targeted on for months. The tensions between the 2 males — and their aides — typically boiled over in the course of the main race. Mr. Trump excoriated Mr. DeSantis in the course of the marketing campaign, nicknaming him “Ron DeSanctimonious,” and criticizing him as being disloyal. Mr. DeSantis additionally claimed that Mr. Trump was unelectable at varied factors throughout his main marketing campaign, which was affected by missteps and accusations of mismanagement.
Recently, Mr. DeSantis held a donor occasion the identical weekend that Mr. Trump held a big fund-raiser for his marketing campaign. During the fund-raiser, Mr. Trump revived the “DeSanctimonious” nickname, in accordance with an attendee.
Still, allies of each males say it’s politically helpful for them to return collectively for the 2024 marketing campaign and past.
