According to NBC News, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis privately told donors he intends to raise funds for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.
DeSantis reportedly made the comments during a private gathering at South Florida’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
“He did say it in front of a group of people at the Hard Rock,” a DeSantis adviser told the outlet.
🚨 BREAKING: NBC reports that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has informed some of his closest donors and supporters that he plans to help raise large sums of money for Donald Trump’s 2024 Presidential campaign. pic.twitter.com/SDEki7W82Z
— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) April 10, 2024
“Good for the Governor,” Charlie Kirk commented.
NEW: Ron DeSantis tells donors at private weekend meeting that he plans to fundraise for Trump: report
Good for the Governor. https://t.co/thNY607Jnc
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 11, 2024
NBC News reports:
The person emphasized that DeSantis had pledged to support Republicans up and down the ballot — “including presidential” — when he dropped his bid for president in January.
DeSantis’ remarks come after he was effectively in a political war with Trump, both before and since the governor dropped out of the presidential primary race. It remains unclear if Trump and his team want DeSantis to help them, or have him as an ally, even though the governor did endorse Trump in January.
Many of the bundlers who heard from DeSantis at the Hard Rock will likely follow his lead and start trying to raise money for the former president, according to a fundraiser who was at the event.
“I would say the majority in the room would now be willing to help Trump,” a DeSantis bundler who was at the recent meeting said.
The outlet reported that Texas businessman Roy Bailey, a co-chair of DeSantis’ national finance advisory board, said he planned to help raise money for Trump.
“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. 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, according to The Post Millennial.
A Trump campaign adviser reportedly said they weren’t aware DeSantis was going to start raising funds but mentioned defeating Joe Biden and electing Donald Trump should be everyone’s goal.
NEW: Ron DeSantis tells donors at private weekend meeting that he plans to fundraise for Trump: reporthttps://t.co/3PeqIgaDUy
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) April 11, 2024
From The Post Millennial:
Most bundlers gathered at the event indicated that they would follow DeSantis’ lead.
DeSantis endorsed Trump after dropping out of the race in January, saying “[Trump] has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form or warmed over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.”