¶ Trump And DeSantis Had Supported Each Other’s Campaigns For Nearly A Decade, Until 2022
¶ 2012 – 2016: TRUMP HAD SUPPORTED DESANTIS’ CAMPAIGNS FOR THE HOUSE
Trump Backed DeSantis’ Campaigns For The House
Trump Endorsed DeSantis During His First House Run In 2012. According to POLITICO, “Trump endorsed Rep. Ron DeSantis, who’s running for the GOP Senate nod in Florida, when he first ran for Congress and donated to his campaign two years later.” [POLITICO, 12/3/15]
Florida Columnist: DeSantis Was Endorsed By Trump In 2012. In a column for the Florida Times-Union, Ron Littlepage wrote, “Grayson is beyond liberal and has a habit of making headlines with his statements. He once described the Republican health care plan as: ‘Don’t get sick. If you do get sick, die quickly.’ And he has compared the tea party to the Ku Klux Klan. That statement could prove particularly interesting if the Senate race ends up being between Grayson and Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis, who was first elected in 2012 as a tea party favorite. By the way, DeSantis also had the endorsement then of none other than The Donald.” [Florida Times-Union, 7/10/15]
¶ In 2012, Trump Called DeSantis “Very Impressive”
Trump: DeSantis Was “Very Impressive” According to Donald Trump’s Official Twitter, “Ron DeSantis, Iraq vet, Navy hero, bronze star, Yale, Harvard Law, running for Congress in Fla. Very impressive. http://bit.ly/wSXiwF” [Donald Trump Official Twitter, 3/20/12]
DeSantis Received Donations From Trump In The 2014 And 2016 Cycles
DeSantis Received $1,000 From Donald Trump During The 2014 Primary. [FEC.gov, 3/31/14]
DeSantis Received A $1,000 Donation From Trump. According to the Sun Sentinel, “Donald Trump has spread thousands of dollars among Florida politicians over the past two decades, tapping his real estate fortune to influence Democrats as well as Republicans in one of his home states. […] Donations over the past two years have gone mostly to conservative Republicans, including $1,000 last year to Rep. Ron DeSantis of Ponte Vedra Beach, now a Senate candidate.” [Sun Sentinel, 9/2/15]
2017 – 2018: Trump Played Major Role In DeSantis’ Gubernatorial Campaign
December 2017: Trump Endorsed DeSantis’ Run For Governor
Trump Tweeted Out An Endorsement For DeSantis In December 2017. According to Politico, “President Donald Trump shook up the race for Florida governor on Friday by giving what amounts to an endorsement of Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis despite White House denials that the president would get involved with the race. […] ‘Congressman Ron DeSantis is a brilliant young leader, Yale and then Harvard Law, who would make a GREAT Governor of Florida. He loves our Country and is a true FIGHTER!’ tweeted Trump on Friday afternoon after watching a Fox News clip of the congressman.” [Politico, 12/22/17]
Months Later, Trump Tweeted His Support For DeSantis, Once Again, Saying The Congressman Had His “Full Endorsement!” According to Politico, “With a new poll showing he’s trailing in the GOP primary for Florida governor, Rep. Ron DeSantis got a Friday boost from President Donald Trump, who made it clear that he backs the congressman’s campaign. ‘Congressman Ron DeSantis, a top student at Yale and Harvard Law School, is running for Governor of the Great State of Florida. Ron is strong on Borders, tough on Crime & big on Cutting Taxes – Loves our Military & our Vets,’ Trump wrote on Twitter. ‘He will be a Great Governor & has my full Endorsement!’” [Politico, 6/22/18]
¶ DeSantis Reportedly Sought Out Trump’s Endorsement
DeSantis’ Campaign Attempted To Get Trump’s Endorsement For Weeks. According to Politico, “DeSantis’ team had been hoping for Trump’s endorsement ever since he and his fellow congressman, Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), flew on Air Force One with the president to and from Pensacola earlier this month for a campaign-style stop where Trump endorsed Alabama’s Roy Moore for Senate. On the flight, Trump told DeSantis, ‘You’re my guy,’ and promised to help him, according to two sources familiar with the conversation. The sources said that, when DeSantis asked Trump to get casino magnate Steve Wynn to help with fundraising, Trump said it would be no problem, and led DeSantis to believe he would tweet an endorsement the following day.” [Politico, 12/22/17]
DeSantis’ Primary Campaign Heavily Focused On His Support From Trump
Politico: “DeSantis Has Built His Campaign Around The Support Of Trump.” According to Politico, “DeSantis has built his campaign around the support of Trump, who endorsed the congressman in December and then followed up with another endorsement in June, thereby slighting the establishment front-runner, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who had dissed Trump on the campaign trail in 2016.” [Politico, 7/17/18]
Tampa Bay Times: Trump Had A Massive Effect On DeSantis During The 2018 Republican Primary, Lifting DeSantis From A “Longshot” To “Frontrunner.” According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Trump's effect on the race is unquestionable. He first tweeted his support on Dec. 22, 2017, when DeSantis was a longshot: And then he followed that up five months later with an: The frontrunner, Trump's ‘somebody else’, was Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam. His campaign dismissed the endorsement at the time as insignificant. By June, DeSantis had raised $9 million and Putnam had raised $29.4 million for his run (having started way before DeSantis, the upstart). Putnam still had establishment support from the likes of then-Florida Attorney General and then-House Speaker . But while Putnam encountered unexpected problems , DeSantis ran a campaign so tightly aligned to Trump that he joked about it in. And before the primary, Trump . It all led to DeSantis , who ended up spending $37 million.” [Tampa Bay Times, 2/7/20]
¶ DeSantis Ad Focused On Trump’s Promise To “Build The Wall”
DeSantis Ad Featured Him Teaching His Child How To “Build The Wall” With Blocks, In A Nod To Trump. According to The Hill, “Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) released an advertisement for his gubernatorial campaign on Monday in which he shows his support for President Trump by teaching his child to ‘build the wall’ with blocks. ‘Everyone knows my husband Ron DeSantis is endorsed by President Trump,’ DeSantis’s wife, Casey DeSantis, says to open the ad. ‘But he’s also an amazing dad. Ron loves playin’ with the kids.’” [The Hill, 7/30/18]
The Ad Also Features DeSantis Reading From Trump’s Book And Teaching Hid Kid To Say “Make America Great Again.” According to The Hill, “The candidate also reads ‘The Art of The Deal’ to a child and teaches another how to talk by saying ‘Make America Great Again.’” [The Hill, 7/30/18]
¶ DeSantis Primary Opponent Putnam Noted Trump’s Influence In Securing DeSantis The Nomination
DeSantis Gubernatorial Primary Opponent To Trump: “You Endorsed [DeSantis], And It Was Like A Nuclear Bomb Went Off.” According to the Tampa Bay Times, “On Thursday, Trump disclosed something that hadn't been known before, claiming that Putnam called him after he was defeated. ‘The man he beat, the man who was expected to win easily, called and told me, after the race, he said, 'You endorsed him, and it was like a nuclear bomb went off. There was nothing I could do.' He never even spent his money. He saved it. […] But Ron DeSantis is another one and now he's governor of Florida, and by the way, he's a great governor, he's a very popular governor, his numbers are in the 70s, and he's done a great job.’ DeSantis' office would not immediately confirm this account for the Times. But Trump's message is a clear one to DeSantis: You owe me. Bigly.” [Tampa Bay Times, 2/7/20]
DeSantis Relied On Trump In The Waning Days Of The Campaign
Former Trump Counselor Kellyanne Conway Said DeSantis Leaned On Trump’s Support More Than Other Republicans. According to McClatchy DC, “‘I can't think of a candidate in this country who has leaned in more to the presidential endorsement than Ron DeSantis," Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president, said on Fox News earlier this year. "He will be a reliable supporter of the Trump agenda.’” [McClatchy DC, 10/31/18]
DeSantis And Trump Attended A Rally Together In Fort Myers. According to Politico, “Gov. Rick Scott joined Ron DeSantis on Wednesday night as he campaigned publicly for the first time next to President Donald Trump this year, ending a long spell when Florida's chief executive kept some distance from the man who had long encouraged him to run for U.S. Senate. The Scott-DeSantis rally with Trump in Fort Myers - the capital of one of the most politically engaged Republican counties in the state - highlighted the partisan nature of Florida's 2018 midterm election, in which both sides are ginning up their base voters with the two most popular figures in each party: Trump and former President Barack Obama, who visits Democrat-rich Miami on Friday. ‘Is Southwest Florida Trump Country, or what?’ DeSantis said when he took the stage to loud cheers.” [Politico, 10/27/18]
- DeSantis: “It’s An Honor To Have The President Here.” According to the Ocala Star-Banner, “DeSantis, appearing with his wife Casey, also spoke for about seven minutes. ‘It's an honor to have the president here,’ DeSantis said. ‘I want to thank him for what he's done for our economy. I want to thank him for what he's done to fight terrorism. I want to thank him for what he's done for our military, which is stronger than ever. And as an Iraq war veteran, I want to thank him for what hes done to stand by our veterans.’” [Ocala Star-Banner, 10/31/18]
¶ Trump Sent Out Texts And Robocalls For DeSantis In The Final Days Of The Campaign
Trump Sent Out Texts And Robocalls For DeSantis. According to McClatchy DC, “At the rallies, the DeSantis campign will track which of the expected tens of thousands of Trump supporters who replied online or signed cards at the events have voted early. Those who have not voted by Monday will receive a text message or robocall from Trump urging them to vote for DeSantis. The campaign will also target Floridians who requested absentee ballots but have not turned them in. Brad Coker, managing director at Mason-Dixon Polling & Research in Jacksonville, said Trump can help in both conservative areas of the state, where he needs Republicans to get out the vote. ‘Trump's sole function is generating turnout among the voters that came out to support him,’ he said. ‘People who voted for him and liked him two years ago still like him and would be more inclined to vote for a candidate he backed.’” [McClatchy DC, 10/31/18]
Trump Sought To Take Credit For DeSantis’ 2018 Victory
Trump Suggested After He Endorsed DeSantis’, His Campaign’s Numbers “Went Through The Roof.” According to the Tampa Bay Times, “President Donald Trump on Thursday thanked those who fought for him during his impeachment battle. Yet he also took time to thank one Republican in his defense, at least publicly: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. For , Trump told supporters in the East Room of the White House about how DeSantis owes the governor's mansion to his support. ‘Ron DeSantis is another one. He works so hard. And he called me and he said ‘Sir, I'd like to run for governor.' I said, 'Governor, I don't want you to run for governor. I'd like you staying -'(Trump surely enjoyed having DeSantis in Congress, where he was before leaving to run for governor, because he was one of Trump's ). And he said, 'No, I want to run for governor.' And I said, 'Well, if you have to,' (and then DeSantis said) 'I'd like your support.' And I said, 'How can I support you, you're (polling) at 3 (percent),' He was at 3, he had no money. Somebody else was at 38 and they had $22 million cash, right? I said, 'Look, if it's important, I'll do it,' because he's been another great warrior. and, by the way, he ran, I endorsed him, his numbers went through the roof.” [Tampa Bay Times, 2/7/20]
Audio: Trump Took Credit For Propping Up DeSantis In 2018, Claiming Before His Endorsement DeSantis Was “At 3%” In GOP Primary Polling. According to Florida Politics, “Newly released sound offers more evidence, as if it were needed, that former President Donald Trump takes credit for Ron DeSantis being Florida Governor. New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman released audio from a September 2021 Trump interview for her new book, sound that rehashed Trump’s familiar take that DeSantis would have been stuck at just ‘3%’ in the polls if he hadn’t successfully wheedled an endorsement from the former President in 2018. ‘He was at 3%,’ Trump told Haberman.” [Florida Politics, 10/5/22]
Trump Claimed He Was “At The Beginning Of Ron.” According to Florida Politics, “‘I was at the beginning of Ron. I was the first one to endorse him when he came out as a Congressman that a lot of people didn’t know. My endorsement helped him tremendously. And I know him very well. He’s a great guy,' Trump said.” [Florida Politics, 6/7/21]
Trump Spokesperson Echoed The Former President’s Line About Paving The Way For DeSantis. According to CNN, “A statement to CNN from Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich appeared to confirm Trump's obsession with receiving credit for DeSantis' success. Budowich said the former President's 2020 victory in Florida ‘paved the way for Republicans, including Governor Ron DeSantis, to sweep the state in 2022’ and suggested that Trump ‘catapulted’ then-Congressman DeSantis ‘into the Governor's Mansion’ with his endorsement in the 2018 GOP primary for Florida governor.‘President Trump remains committed and supportive of Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been a champion for President Trump's America First agenda,’ said Budowich.” [CNN, 11/19/21]
Trump On DeSantis: If I Didn’t Endorse Him, He Wouldn’t Have Won.” According to the Wall Street Journal, “In an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Monday, Mr. Trump said he would vote for Mr. DeSantis’s re-election in November but quickly turned to his role in helping Mr. DeSantis four years ago. ‘If I didn’t endorse him, he wouldn’t have won,’ Mr. Trump said.” [Wall Street Journal, 7/26/22]
2019 – 2020: DeSantis Leaned In To Trump’s Re-election Bid, Particularly In Florida
South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “DeSantis Campaigned Hard” For Trump During 2020 Election. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “DeSantis campaigned hard for the president, firing up supporters at rallies and pushing ‘law-and-order’ legislation popular with Trump's base to crack down on unruly protests..” [South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 11/4/20]
Politico: DeSantis “Helped Deliver” Trump’s Victory In Florida. According to Politico, “He wasn’t on the ballot, but Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday became one of the big winners of the 2020 presidential race. The Donald Trump ally helped deliver the president’s must-win state and in the process cemented his own legacy as a leading ‘Make America Great Again’ luminary.” [Politico, 11/5/20]
DeSantis Helped Raise Money For Trump In The Run Up To The 2020 Eleciion. According to Politico, “In the run-up to Election Day, DeSantis raised money for the president, campaigned on his behalf, attended rallies and walked in lockstep with Trump on the coronavirus pandemic, advocating for school and business reopenings. Trump won Florida in convincing fashion, besting Democratic nominee Joe Biden by nearly four points, a substantially larger margin than the president’s win against Hillary Clinton in 2016.” [Politico, 11/5/20]
Trump Praised DeSantis For His Loyalty. According to the Washington Examiner, “While introducing Trump on Thursday, DeSantis attacked Biden, who staged a drive-in rally in Broward County on Thursday, for ‘hiding in his basement most of the time’ while most members of the Trump campaign and the vast majority of rally-goers ignored CDC and Florida’s social distancing guidelines. For his part, Trump returned the favor, praising the governor as ‘a great guy’ and recalling how he didn’t initially want DeSantis to run for governor in 2018 because he needed him in Congress. ‘Your governor was another one, he stood up … he’d be on television fighting for me, defending me,’ Trump said.” [Washington Examiner, 10/30/20]
DeSantis Echoed Trump’s Concerns About Voter Fraud In The 2020 Election
DeSantis Joined Trump In Initially Questioning The Outcome Of The 2020 Election. According to Tampa Bay Times, “In a Thursday night appearance on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show, Gov. Ron DeSantis joined the chorus of Republicans questioning the outcome of a presidential election that increasingly looks bad for their candidate. But DeSantis went further than other Republicans have been willing to venture. He urged Ingraham’s viewers to call on their state lawmakers to take matters into their own hands, into a direction that could lead the United States toward a constitutional crisis. ‘Under Article II of the Constitution, presidential electors are done by legislatures and the schemes they create in the framework,’ DeSantis said. ‘If there’s departure from that and they’re not following the law, if they’re ignoring law, then they can provide remedies as well, so I would exhaust every option to make sure we have a fair count.’” [Tampa Bay Times, 11/6/20]
DeSantis Urged Fox News Viewers To Donate To Trump’s Legal Fund. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, “DeSantis, one of Trump's close Republican allies, declared Thursday on Laura Ingraham's show on Fox News he would stand with Trump as the president's re-election chances dimmed. He urged viewers to donate to Trump's legal fund and suggested people living in battleground states with GOP legislatures, specifically Michigan and Pennsylvania, contact their state lawmakers who could provide ‘remedies.’” [South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 11/7/20]
2022: DeSantis Did Not Seek Trump’s Endorsement, Nor Did He Campaign With The Former President
DeSantis Did Not Plan On Asking For Trump’s Endorsement. According to Politico, “According to four people connected to the governor and former president, DeSantis has not asked Trump for a formal endorsement and isn’t planning to.” [Politico, 6/22/22]
Trump Said He Would Not Campaign With DeSantis. According to the Miami Herald, “Trump’s appearance on his golf course also comes a day after his political committee announced he would be campaigning for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio in South Florida the Sunday before Election Day. The committee’s announcement didn’t mention Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Trump protégé who is widely viewed as a potential threat to the former president’s potential 2024 campaign to return to the White House. Advisers to Florida Gov. DeSantis, Politico Florida reported, were caught by surprise by Trump’s rally, which he was reportedly not invited to attend. […] ‘Uh, no, he’s a nice man and I like him,’ said Trump when asked by a Miami Herald reporter if he was planning to campaign with the Republican governor.” [Miami Herald, 10/27/22]
Trump Held A Florida Rally Ahead Of Election Day, But Neglected To Include DeSantis
Trump Announced A Rally In Miami For Rubio, Snubbing DeSantis. According to Politico, “Former President Donald Trump is coming to Miami just two days before Election Day. But one Republican won’t be there — Gov. Ron DeSantis. Not yet anyway. Trump on Wednesday said he’ll hold a rally with Sen. Marco Rubio on Nov. 6. DeSantis was left off the announcement and an adviser to the former president said the Florida governor is not attending.” [Politico, 10/26/22]
DeSantis’ Team Was Reportedly Peeved With Trump’s For Not Giving Them Advanced Notice About The Rally. According to Politico, “The apparent snub angered some people within DeSantis’ orbit, who complained that the Florida governor’s team was not informed of the rally prior to Trump announcing it.” [Politico, 10/26/22]
¶ DeSantis Broke With Trump On A Number Of High-Profile Issues
¶ September 2018: DeSantis Broke With Trump On Claims Democrats Inflated Hurricane Maria Death Toll, But Denied Tension In Relationship
Trump Baselessly Claimed Democrats Made Up Death Numbers From Hurricane Maria To Make Him Look Bad. According to NBC News, “President Donald Trump on Thursday denied the massive death toll estimate in Puerto Rico caused by Hurricane Maria last year, claiming without evidence that Democrats invented the numbers ‘to make me look as bad as possible.’ ‘3,000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths,’ Trump tweeted. ‘As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3,000.’” [NBC News, 9/13/18]
DeSantis Disagreed With Trump On Death Toll Claims Regarding Hurricane Maria. According to Stuart News, “President Donald Trump's assertion Thursday that Democrats inflated last year's death toll in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria prompted disagreement from his biggest Florida allies, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis. ‘Ron DeSantis is committed to standing with the Puerto Rican community, especially after such a tragic loss of life. He doesn't believe any loss of life has been inflated,’ said Stephen Lawson, a DeSantis campaign spokesman, in a rare instance of disagreement with Trump.” [Stuart News, 9/14/18]
January 2022: DeSantis Criticized Trump’s Initial Response To COVID
DeSantis Said Trump Ignored His Advice To “Stop The Flights From China” At The Start Of The Pandemic. According to Florida Politics, “DeSantis did allude to Trump in identifying his biggest mistake. ‘What could you do, you know, earlier? I think like, when COVID was first coming, we were actually engaged in it. I was telling Trump, ‘Stop the flights from China,’ because we didn’t know what we were dealing with. But, you know, I never thought in February, early March, that it would lead to locking down the country. I just didn’t. I didn’t think that was on the radar. I was dealing with, I mean I had Pence and the CDC director down in Port Everglades talking about cruise ships the second week of March. And no one was talking about shutting down the country. And I think if knowing now what I knew then, if that was a threat earlier, I would’ve been much louder about, you know, trying to say, ‘This is not,’ DeSantis said on the same podcast.” [Florida Politics, 1/15/22]
2022: DeSantis Encouraged Voters To Participate In Early Voting, Breaking Ranks With Trump
DeSantis Encouraged Voters To Participate In Early Voting. According to ABC News, “With early voting underway in more than half of Florida's counties as of Monday -- 15 days before Election Day -- Gov. Ron DeSantis is urging supporters to cast their ballots sooner rather than later, despite calls from Donald Trump and some other Republicans to wait until Nov. 8. DeSantis has made election integrity a key issue since Trump began trumpeting false claims of a stolen 2020 election and has supported various measures to that end, including the creation of an election police force which made controversial fraud arrests in August. But the governor has also repeatedly noted that Florida voters should feel confident in their own elections -- and feel confident voting early or by mail, two methods that Trump has baselessly criticized as allowing fraud.” [ABC News, 10/24/22]
DeSantis’ Position On Early Voting Broke Ranks With Trump, Who Said Early Voting Would Make It Easier For Democrats To Cheat. According to ABC News, “The former president told Nevada rally-goers on Oct. 9 that voting early would make it easier for Democrats to cheat. He didn't provide evidence. DeSantis' message, though, is: Any form of voting will do. At campaign events, he sometimes takes a tally. ‘How many of you are going to do a mail ballot?’ he asks. ‘Early in person?’ he adds.” [ABC News, 10/24/22]
October 2022: Trump Lashed Out At DeSantis For Backing An Anti-Trump Republican For Senate
DeSantis Endorsed And Was Ran Robocalls For Colorado Republican Senate Nominee Joe O’Dea. According to the Washington Examiner, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is recording a robocall for underdog Senate contender Joe O’Dea, a boost for the Colorado Republican after former President Donald Trump urged grassroots conservatives to abandon his campaign. ‘Hello this is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. America needs strong leadership and desperately. That’s why I’m endorsing Joe O’Dea for U.S. Senate. Colorado, please vote for Joe O’Dea,’ DeSantis says in the robocall, a recording of which was provided to the Washington Examiner on Sunday by the O’Dea campaign. ‘I’ve watched Joe from a distance. And I’m impressed.’” [Washington Examiner, 10/23/22]
O’Dea Said He Did Not Want To See Trump Run Again For President
O’Dea Said He Hoped Trump Would Not Run For President Again. According to Colorado Public Radio, “GOP Senate candidate Joe O’Dea said he hopes former President Donald Trump does not try again. ‘I hope he doesn’t run. I don’t want to see him as president again,’ O’Dea told talk radio host Ross Kaminsky on Friday. ‘I think that seeing a Biden-Trump rematch again in 2024 would rip the country apart. I think a lot of people are ready to move our country forward. So, I wouldn’t support him running again.’” [Colorado Public Radio, 8/5/22]
Trump Had Lashed Out At O’Dea And Admonished DeSantis’ Endorsement
DeSantis Backing O’Dea Showed He Bucked Trump, Who Had Called O’Dea A RINO. According to the Washington Examiner, “In endorsing O’Dea, DeSantis is charting a course separate from Trump in the midterm elections and stoking speculation the two Republican heavyweights are on a collision course in the upcoming 2024 GOP presidential primary. Just days earlier, the former president lashed out at O’Dea, calling him a ‘RINO,’ which stands for ‘Republican in Name Only,’ and criticizing him for speaking openly about their disagreements.” [Washington Examiner, 10/23/22]
Trump Called DeSantis’ Endorsement A “BIG MISTAKE!” On Truth Social. According to Alex Leary’s Twitter, “For the Trump-DeSantis file.
[Twitter, @learyreports, 10/23/22]
¶ However, As Governor, DeSantis Emulated Trump
¶ DeSantis Said He Regularly Sought Advice From Trump And His Inner Circle As Governor
DeSantis Said He Communicated With Trump And His Top Aides Regularly. According to the Miami Herald, “DeSantis speaks with Trump regularly and leans on a conservative network from across the country when seeking advice. Some of those in that network include Trump's acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, and former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, who also ran for governor with Trump's endorsement last year but was defeated. The most prominent Trump émigrés are Inch, Mayhew and Helen Aguirre Ferré, who heads DeSantis' communications team after doing a similar job for the White House.” [Miami Herald, 3/15/19]
DeSantis Appointed Multiple Trump Alumni To His Administration
DeSantis Appointed Trump’s Former Head Of Bureau Of Prisons, To The Florida’s Secretary Of Corrections. According to the Miami Herald, “As Gov. Ron DeSantis' transition team considered candidates to run Florida's state prisons late last year, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz picked up the phone -- and dialed Jared Kushner. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and key adviser passed along a glowing endorsement of Mark Inch, the former head of the federal Bureau of Prisons and a retired two-star Army general. That's exactly who DeSantis ended up naming as Florida's secretary of corrections.” [Miami Herald, 3/15/19]
DeSantis Hired Former Trump Campaign Alum To His Campaign And To Deputy Secretary Of The Department Of Business Regulations. According to the Miami Herald, “Not all the former Trump appointments were strangers to DeSantis. Tim Page went directly from Trump's campaign to Washington with little background in the agency where he landed: the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His salary during that stint was $66,510. A 2016 college graduate, his only other professional experience was at a landscaping company he started in college, according to his online résumé. Tim Page, deputy secretary at Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Page was in that job for 11 months until he left for the Consumer Energy Alliance, a group backed by large energy companies that advocates for offshore drilling and opposes regulation on carbon pollution. But Page was pulled back into politics by DeSantis' campaign. When the election ended, DeSantis named Page, 26, deputy secretary of the department of business regulation. He's making nearly twice as much as he did in Trump's administration -- $110,000 a year.” [Miami Herald, 3/15/19]
DeSantis Hired A Former Melania Trump Staffer To His Campaign And To Director Of External Affairs. According to the Miami Herald, “Another late edition to DeSantis' campaign was Justin Caporale, who previously worked for First Lady Melania Trump. Justin Caporale, director of external affairs in charge of programs and events, with President Donald Trump. According to multiple reports, Caporale had issues with his security clearance and was let go by former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. This led to a rift between Kelly and the first lady that reportedly contributed to Kelly's ouster. Now, DeSantis' office is paying Caporale $120,000 as director of external affairs in charge of programs and events.” [Miami Herald, 3/15/19]
DeSantis’ Decision To Send Migrants To Martha’s Vineyard Was Considered By The Trump Administration, But Ultimately Blocked By ICE
DeSantis’ Decision To Send Migrants To Martha’s Vineyard Was Considered By Trump. According to the New York Times, “Long considered to harbor presidential ambitions, Mr. DeSantis ripped this move directly from the playbook of Mr. Trump, whose rhetoric and political style he has adopted. The idea of transporting migrants to Democratic strongholds was considered by the Trump administration. Stephen Miller, the former president’s policy adviser, and others in the Trump White House pushed the move as a way to strike back against sanctuary cities that refused to fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The plan was rejected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials over liability and budgetary concerns.” [New York Times, 9/19/22]
DeSantis Promoted Hydroxychloroquine, Malaria Medication tOuted By Trump As A COVID-19 Cure
DeSantis Promoted Florida’s Acquisition Of Hydroxychloroquine, Which Trump Touted To Fight Against Covid-19 While Experts Warned Against It. According to the Pensacola News Journal, “The symmetry between the president and the governor, though, has coursed through the fight against the coronavirus. Earlier this month, DeSantis began promoting the state's acquisition of hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malaria drug Trump has touted despite cautions about its use from public health officials.” [Pensacola News Journal, 4/19/20]
¶ Following Trump’s 2020 Loss, Tensions Between The Former President And DeSantis Escalated Around 2024 Speculation
¶ DeSantis Was Reportedly Wary Of Upsetting Trump With 2024 Specualtion
Republican Consultant Close To DeSantis Noted The Governor Was “Very Wary” Of Upsetting Trump On 2024 Speculation. According to Politico, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is on a collision course with the most powerful man in the GOP: Donald Trump. DeSantis is crisscrossing the country to deliver red-meat speeches. Iowa leaders begged him to visit. He just beat Trump in a key straw poll. And now the popular governor is getting close to overshadowing the former president in the 2024 presidential sweepstakes. All of that could be dangerous for DeSantis’ political health, as Trump continues to ponder a new bid for the White House and remains capable of kneecapping any Republican he sees as a threat. […] The governor’s backers say he is aware of the dangers of appearing to rise too quickly. One Republican consultant close to the governor, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak freely about DeSantis and Trump, said the governor is ‘very wary’ of eliciting the former president’s rage. ‘He will take measures so that Trump won’t get mad at him, but believe me, the more successful you are, with Trump, sometimes makes it worse,’ the consultant said. ‘It’s a weird spot to be in for sure.’” [Politico, 6/28/21]
Trump Was Frustrated That DeSantis Skipped A Rally To Attend Surfside Event With Biden
June 2021: DeSantis Reportedly Urged Trump To Cancel Rally Amid Collapsed Seaside Condominium Crisis
DeSantis Directly Pleaded Trump To Cancel Rally After Tragedy At Surfside. According to the Washington Examiner, “Former President Donald Trump is rejecting pleas from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to postpone a campaign-style rally this weekend some 200 miles from the Miami suburb where an international search-and-rescue mission is excavating bodies from the site of a collapsed seaside condominium. DeSantis’s office has ‘made a direct plea’ to the former president’s team, calling on it to postpone the Saturday event in Sarasota. One Florida Republican bluntly said Trump and his team need to ‘read the room.’ […] For now, the Trump camp is holding firm. ‘Nobody wants to cancel,’ a source close to Trump told the Washington Examiner.” [Washington Examiner, 6/30/21]
- DeSantis’ Office Denied Making Plea To Trump To Stop Rally. According to Business Insider, “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis denies telling Trump not to host a rally in the wake of the Surfside disaster. The Washington Examiner first reported that DeSantis asked Trump to cancel a rally in Sarasota. A Trump spokesperson defended the rally, saying it ‘is on the other side of the state, 3 1/2 hours away.’ […] But DeSantis' office issued a statement to outlets, including the Daily Caller and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, denying the fact that the governor had attempted to stop the rally. ‘Governor DeSantis is focusing on his duties as Governor and the tragedy in Surfside, and has never suggested or requested that events planned in different parts of Florida - from the Stanley Cup finals to President Trump's rally - should be canceled,’ the statement said.” [Business Insider, 7/1/21]
DeSantis Chose To Appear In Surfside With Biden Rather Than At The Rally With Trump
DeSantis Said He Would Be In Surfside Rather Than At Trump’s Rally According to Newsweek, “Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will not attend a rally with former President Donald Trump on Saturday due to the ongoing search for survivors following the collapse of a 12-story building in Surfside on June 24. Trump is holding a rally in Sarasota, more than 200 miles from the scene of the tragedy, Champlain Towers South near Miami Beach. The former president has reportedly advised DeSantis, a Republican, that his responsibility is to the rescue effort. The New York Times White House Correspondent Annie Karni reported the development early on Saturday ahead of the planned event, due to begin at 8 pm EDT. ‘Just in from @GovRonDeSantis office — Governor will not attend the Trump rally in Sarasota,’ Karni tweeted. ‘He spoke with Trump, ‘who agreed that it was the right decision, because the Governor's duty is to be in Surfside.’” [Newsweek, 7/3/21]
DeSantis Appeared With Biden In Surfside Following Condo Collapse During The Trump Rally. According to Florida Politics, “Among the purported grievances: DeSantis prematurely committed Trump to speak at the Florida GOP Statesman’s Dinner in 2019; he didn’t close beaches in 2020 despite Trump’s wishes; and the Governor skipped a Trump rally while appearing instead with President Joe Biden in Surfside after the Champlain Tower South collapse.” [Florida Politics, 9/2/21]
Trump Was Reportedly Angry As DeSantis Popularity Grew Among Republicans, Includin Donors And Operatives. According to CNN, “In a matter of months, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has gone from being a shining example in Donald Trump's eyes of a MAGA leader molded in his image to an average politician who forgot his roots as he rose to Republican stardom. People close to both men first noticed the palpable shift in Trump's posture toward DeSantis earlier this year as enthusiasm for the Florida governor swelled among donors and GOP operatives who praised his laissez-faire response to the Covid-19 pandemic.” [CNN, 11/19/21]
Trump Stewed Over DeSantis’ Growing Popularity In The GOP
Trump Ally Said The Former President Resented DeSantis’ Growing Popularity Among Republicans. According to Florida Politics, “ ‘Trump f***ing hates DeSantis. He just resents his popularity,’ one unidentified ‘Trump confidant’ told Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman.” [Florida Politics, 9/2/21]
Trump Publicly Dismissed DeSantis Challenge In 2024
Trump Dismissed DeSantis’ Chances In A 2024 Primary Saying, “If I Faced Him, I’d Beat Him Like I Would Beat Everyone Else.” According to Florida Politics, “Former U.S. President Donald Trump said Gov. Ron DeSantis would be no match for him in a potential 2024 matchup. ‘If I faced him, I’d beat him like I would beat everyone else,’ Trump told Yahoo! Finance, noting that DeSantis likely would stand down. ‘I don’t think I will face him,’ Trump said. ‘I think most people would drop out; I think he would drop out.’” [Florida Politics, 10/4/21]
Trump Complained About DeSantis Over Reluctance To Pledge Not To Run In 2024 If Trump Runs
Trump Complained About DeSantis Over The Governor’s Refusal To Pledge Not To Run In 2024 If Trump Runs. According to Politico Playbook, “DONALD TRUMP has been complaining to members and guests at Mar-a-Lago that Florida Gov. RON DESANTIS still hasn’t joined the other 2024 hopefuls in pronouncing that he won’t run for president if Trump runs. One guest suspects that Trump’s gripes are so frequent because he is planting them in hopes that they’ll get back to DeSantis.” [Politico Playbook, 11/12/21]
Former Trump Aide: Trump Wanted DeSantis To Say “I Won’t Run.” According to CNN, “‘I don't think Trump appreciates the conundrum DeSantis is in. He wants him to say, 'I won't run,' but DeSantis isn't going to weigh in like that,’ said a former Trump aide, who suggested that DeSantis' current approach was politically savvy given his interest in securing another term as governor. ‘It's a very smart view. Until you get reelected, don't start to have a conversation about 2024. If you're trying to ask people for your vote and you're leaning into presidential speculation, it makes it a lot harder,’ the aide said.” [CNN, 11/19/21]
Trump On DeSantis: “I Wonder Why The Guy Won’t Say He Won’t Run Against Me.” According to the New York Times, “At times, Mr. Trump has sought to kindle his relationship with Mr. DeSantis. He has suggested the governor would be a strong choice for vice president. Similar courtship has helped win deference from other potential rivals. But Mr. DeSantis has not relented. ‘I wonder why the guy won’t say he won’t run against me,’ Mr. Trump has said to several associates and advisers, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.” [New York Times, 1/16/22]
Trump Claimed That DeSantis Had Privately Assured Him He Would Not Run Against Trump
Trump Told His Advisers DeSantis Assured Him He Would Not Run In 2024 If Trump Runs. According to Politico Playbook, “Trump has told his advisers that DeSantis privately assured him that he won’t run if Trump does, but that’s not enough for the former president — he wants DeSantis to say it in public. Trump has even suggested that DeSantis shouldn’t underestimate his Democratic challenger CHARLIE CRIST, calling him a ‘killer.’” [Politico Playbook, 11/12/21]
Trump Said About DeSantis And 2024 Run, “If I Run, He Won’t.” According to Florida Politics, “Former President Donald Trump continues to say Gov. Ron DeSantis won’t run against him in 2024 and can’t beat him if he does, while reminding voters DeSantis wouldn’t be Governor without Trump’s endorsement. During an interview with South Florida radio host Brian Mudd, Trump offered his latest in a series of statements essentially claiming he made the Governor and DeSantis knows better than to run against him in 2024. ‘I do think if I run, he won’t,’ Trump said. ‘I know they try and create a friction. I don’t think it exists at all. It might, you know, you never know. If he wanted to run, that’s OK with me. I think we’d win by a lot. But he’s good. And he’s done a good job as Governor.’” [Florida Politics, 12/6/21]
¶ Amid The Feud, DeSantis And Trump Sought To Downplay The Tensions
¶ For Years, DeSantis And Trump Have Denied The Obvious Tensions
DeSantis Brushed Off The Notion That He Had A Rocky Relationship With Trump Despite Disagreement Over Hurricane Maria. According to CNN, “The President’s false claims last week about the death toll in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria led Gov. Rick Scott, who is running for Senate, and gubernatorial nominee and former Rep. Ron DeSantis to issue statements breaking with Trump’s assertions. […] For their part, Scott and DeSantis are brushing off the notion there is any friction between them and the President. At an event outside Orlando on Wednesday, DeSantis laughed off the idea that his relationship with the President is on the rocks. ‘I don't think anything has changed,’ he said.” [CNN, 9/20/18]
Trump Called Feud Between Him And DeSantis “Totally Fake News.” According to Florida Politics, “Former President Donald Trump is insisting reports of a conflict with Gov. Ron DeSantis are ‘totally fake news.’ Trump has a ‘very good relationship’ with DeSantis, he said earlier Thursday, continuing that narrative on Sean Hannity‘s Fox News show later that night. ‘I get along great with Ron,’ Trump said. ‘Ron was very good on the (Robert) Mueller hoax. He was right in front along with Jim Jordan and all of the rest of them; they were fantastic. Republicans really stuck together. It was a great thing, and Ron was one of them.” [Florida Politics, 1/21/22]