(PatriotSpotlight.org) – Former president Donald Trump has apparently mended ties with his onetime rival for the GOP presidential nomination.
Trump has reportedly met with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a bid to focus energy on a GOP win at the 2024 general election. The pair of high-profile Republicans met in Florida over the weekend, marking their inaugural formal meeting since DeSantis endorsed Trump in January in the wake of his bowing out of his presidential bid.
On Monday Trump announced that the talks had taken place, writing to his Truth Social platform that he was “very happy to have the full and enthusiastic support of Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida.” He said that the two GOP firebrands’ discussion centered on plans to “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAINS”. He also spoke about the future of DeSantis’ home state of Florida, which he predicted would be “fantastic.”
A major Trump donor allegedly arranged the key meeting, which occurred at a private club and was said to have gone on for a few hours. DeSantis has now vowed to back Trump’s second bid for the White House, and it remains unclear if he could have a wider role in the campaign. Decisive action from DeSantis could help close the current fundraising gap between Trump and President Joe Biden, who is highly likely to be the Democratic candidate for the Oval Office.
DeSantis’s decision to publicly back Trump came in the wake of challenging sparring between them during his primary campaign. Despite major fundraising and national status, DeSantis struggles to gain major polling victories, and Trump beating him in Iowa. Following this major loss, and his withdrawal from the race, DeSantis said he understood that most Republicans were eager to give Trump a second chance in the White House, despite his slew of legal issues, including a criminal trial in New York.
Throughout the primary, the rivalry between the pair appeared intense and, at times, personal. DeSantis slammed Trump’s record in government, especially his adherence to certain lockdown policies during the Covid-19 pandemic, while Trump mocked DeSantis’s height, mannerisms, and nicknamed him disparagingly as “DeSanctimonious”. DeSantis also poked fun at the ex-President’s rumored hush-money payments involving an adult film star.
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