Meeting between Trump and DeSantis was about money, not VP selection, sources say

Meeting was set up by mutual friend, Florida real estate investor and developer Steve Witkoff

U.S. President Donald Trump introduces Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during a homecoming campaign rally at the BB&T Center on November 26, 2019 in Sunrise, Florida (Getty Images)

Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis met in private in Miami on Sunday after years of tension between the former president and the Florida governor.

The hours-long meeting was set up with the aim of brokering a truce — and with the aim of convincing the Florida governor to tap into his substantial network of donors ahead of the general election this autumn, according to The Washington Post.

Mr DeSantis agreed to help Mr Trump, sources say.

The “friendly” meeting was reportedly set up by a man known to both of them: Florida real estate investor and developer Steve Witkoff, who called Mr Trump’s team and requested that he meet with Mr DeSantis.

“Governor DeSantis was down playing golf at the Shell Bay Club and agreed to have breakfast with Trump,” a person with knowledge told NBC News.

The club is located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

The Florida governor and the former president hadn’t spoken since Mr DeSantis left the primary after losing to Mr Trump in the first-in-the-nation contest in Iowa. While Mr DeSantis endorsed Mr Trump after dropping out, he hasn’t campaigned for the former president.

Even after endorsing him, Mr DeSantis has continued to make jabs at Mr Trump, offended at how Mr Trump and his campaign treated him during the primary.

While Mr DeSantis is strongly disliked among Trump allies, the former president has been willing to work with the governor when it helps him.

Though many have openly speculated about whether Mr DeSantis could make for a Trump VP pick, the meeting was not about a potential running mate selection, Politico reports. But the renewed friendship could help put Mr DeSantis in a position to wield influence in the party — and possibly run for president again in 2028.

Mr Trump and his right-wing groups are currently lagging behind President Joe Biden and groups supporting the Democrats in terms of fundraising. But Mr DeSantis has a large circle of wealthy donors who may aid Mr Trump in his efforts to catch up to Mr Biden.

Mr DeSantis’s support may also help convince some Republican voters tired of Mr Trump to support him in November.

Regardless of the outcome of the election, Mr Trump is highly likely to remain the most powerful force within the Republican party and anyone wanting a future within it will be expected to be on his good side.

Those in Mr DeSantis’s inner circle have noted that he cannot continue to have a tense and adversarial relationship with Mr Trump as he looks ahead to another possible presidential campaign. He’s seen by many Republican donors and consultants as having taken a major hit after a disastrous primary, The Post noted. Coming back from that hit will be top of mind for the governor, meaning that cordial relations can benefit both parties substantially in both the short- and the long-term.