Donald J. Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida met on Sunday morning, in response to three individuals briefed on the assembly, the primary time they’ve executed so because the finish of a bruising Republican presidential major that Mr. Trump received whereas relentlessly attacking Mr. DeSantis.
The assembly — which happened in Hollywood, Fla., in response to one of many individuals briefed on the assembly — was the results of a weekslong effort by a longtime pal of Mr. Trump, the real-estate investor Steve Witkoff, who additionally has a relationship with Mr. DeSantis.
Mr. Trump is trying to bolster his fund-raising, a capability Mr. DeSantis demonstrated through the major by tapping right into a community of well-funded donors. And Mr. DeSantis — who has made clear he’s involved in operating for president once more in 2028 — is in search of to shed the damaging weight of his disappointing marketing campaign. The assembly was reported earlier by The Washington Submit.
A spokesman for Mr. Trump didn’t reply to an e mail in search of remark. A spokesman for Mr. DeSantis declined to remark.
Mr. DeSantis just isn’t 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. Each Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis have made clear that such a pairing doesn’t curiosity both of them, they usually additionally dwell in the identical state, which might make it an unconstitutional pairing except one in every of them had been to maneuver out of Florida, which is unlikely to occur, particularly since Mr. DeSantis is at present the governor.
Mr. DeSantis had been seen as Mr. Trump’s chief intraparty competitors, and he was the goal the Trump group targeted on for months. The tensions between the 2 males — and their aides — typically boiled over through the major race. Mr. Trump excoriated Mr. DeSantis through 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 major marketing campaign, which was tormented by missteps and accusations of mismanagement.
Lately, Mr. DeSantis held a donor occasion the identical weekend that Mr. Trump held a big fund-raiser for his marketing campaign. In the course of the fund-raiser, Mr. Trump revived the “DeSanctimonious” nickname, in response to an attendee.
Nonetheless, allies of each males say it’s politically helpful for them to come back collectively for the 2024 marketing campaign and past.
