JUST IN: DeSantis To Fundraise For Trump In 2024

In a turn of events that could signify a potential realignment within the Republican Party’s ranks as the 2024 presidential election looms, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has embarked on a strategic shift.

At a private retreat last weekend, DeSantis revealed his plans to assist with fundraising efforts for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, according to three individuals familiar with the discussion. The commitment was made during a gathering of donors and supporters at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in South Florida, sources say.

A DeSantis adviser confirmed to NBC News that the governor had indeed made the announcement in the presence of attendees at the event. “He did say it in front of a group of people at the Hard Rock,” an adviser stated.

It was highlighted that DeSantis had previously vowed to support Republican candidates throughout the ballot, which includes presidential candidates. The pledge was made when he concluded his own presidential campaign in January. “I would say the majority in the room would now be willing to help Trump,” noted a bundler for DeSantis who attended the meeting.

Among those ready to support Trump is Texas businessman Roy Bailey, a former co-chair of DeSantis’ national finance advisory board. In an interview on Wednesday, Bailey expressed his commitment, saying, “I will follow the governor’s lead and I will do anything that he or President Trump ask me to do to help him win this election.”

Bailey also highlighted the widespread support for DeSantis and how it could be mobilized to benefit Trump’s campaign. “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 added.

DeSantis, who is increasingly viewed as a frontrunner for the GOP’s 2028 nomination, has become more fond of the former president since ending his run for the White House. A Trump campaign adviser, upon learning of DeSantis’s plans to begin fundraising efforts for the former president, was surprised, noting they were previously unaware of these intentions. However, the adviser explained, “everyone should be working towards defeating Joe Biden and electing President Trump.”

NBC News reported:

DeSantis’ donor retreat happened on the same day as Trump’s biggest fundraiser of the cycle, which his campaign said raised $50.5 million.

The two men were longtime political allies after Trump’s endorsement helped DeSantis become governor in 2018. As it became clear DeSantis was considering running against Trump in 2024, the relationship publicly soured, and toward the end of DeSantis’ campaign, both sides regularly trashed each other.

Shortly after DeSantis dropped out of the race, Susie Wiles, his former political adviser turned Trump’s campaign chief, posted a quip at the governor on social media: “Bye, bye.” DeSantis fired Wiles after she helped run his first gubernatorial campaign, adding a layer of personal rivalry to the feud.

In February, DeSantis shared his concerns with supporters about Trump, noting that he believed the former president should not play “identity politics” when picking a 2024 running mate. Trump’s campaign subsequently ripped DeSantis.

DeSantis and Trump have had quite the relationship over the years. In February, DeSantis privately commented on the harsh criticisms he faced from Trump and his allies throughout his retired campaign. DeSantis speculated on the source of the attacks, suggesting, “I think [Trump’s] got 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 said. “That wasn’t it at all. The dynamics of the race were, 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.”