Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) told donors and supporters that he will fundraise for former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, signifying a potential shift within the Republican Party.
During a private event last week at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in South Florida, DeSantis said he plans to help raise money for Trump ahead of the November election. According to sources who attended the private gathering pointed out that the Florida governor pledged his support for the 2024 GOP candidate after dropping out of the presidential race.
“I would say the majority in the room would now be willing to help Trump,” an attendee at the event said.
DeSantis endorsed Trump for president in January, suggesting the feud between the two Republicans has simmered.
In February, DeSantis addressed the criticisms that Trump had previously rendered at the governor. He suggested that Trump has “people in his inner circle who were a part of our orbit years ago that we fired, and I think some of that is they have an ax to grind.”
“The dynamic of the race is not that they were attacking me and Republican voters all of a sudden didn’t like me,” DeSantis reportedly said. “That wasn’t it at all. The dynamics of the race were, that he kept getting indicted and he drew more support out of sympathy for that, and then he had the conservative media that basically rallied to him and made it where a lot of voters thought his nomination was inevitable.”
A Trump campaign adviser said that they were not aware DeSantis intended to fundraise for the 45th president, saying that “everyone should be working towards defeating Joe Biden and electing President Trump.”
Roy Bailey, co-chair of DeSantis’ national finance advisory board, pointed out in an interview on Wednesday that the governor’s support for the former president could greatly benefit the chances of Trump securing a second term.
“I know where there are DeSantis supporters all over Texas and all over the country that will want to help President Trump. So that’s what I’ll try to make happen,” Bailey said, adding that he will follow the governor’s lead in fundraising for Trump’s campaign.
On Saturday, Trump raised $50.5 million during an exclusive fundraising dinner in Palm Beach, blowing President Joe Biden’s fundraising efforts out of the water.
Trump broke “every fundraising record in history for a Republican or Democrat,” significantly beating Biden’s $26 million that he brought in during a celebrity and Democrat-packed New York City fundraiser last month.