Trump, DeSantis meet privately for several hours in Miami

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met privately successful Miami, Florida connected Sunday, a Republican with cognition of the gathering confirmed to Fox News.

During the several-hour agelong meeting, DeSantis agreed to assistance Trump arsenic the GOP’s presumptive statesmanlike nominee tries to adjacent his fundraising spread with President Biden successful their 2024 predetermination rematch, the root confirmed.

DeSantis, who was convincingly re-elected successful 2022 earlier launching an unsuccessful bid for the 2024 Republican statesmanlike nomination, has built up a formidable web of affluent donors who could beryllium adjuvant to Trump arsenic the wide predetermination run heats up.

News of the gathering was archetypal reported by the Washington Post, which said the get-together betwixt the 2 rivals was orchestrated by Steve Witkoff, a Florida existent property broker known to some Trump and DeSantis.

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Ron DeSantis dropped retired of the 2024 GOP contention and endorsed erstwhile President Trump connected Sunday. (AP Photo, File)

The gathering appears to beryllium the archetypal clip DeSantis and Trump person spoken, fto unsocial met successful person, since the politician ended his White House bid successful January, aft a disappointing 2nd spot decorativeness successful the Iowa caucuses, acold down Trump.

The erstwhile president and his allies spent astir a twelvemonth attacking DeSantis arsenic the 2 squared disconnected for the GOP information that besides included different contenders.

DeSantis and Trump did not instantly respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital connected the matter.

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Then-President Donald Trump greets Florida Republican gubernatorial campaigner Ron DeSantis arsenic his wife, Casey DeSantis, looks connected arsenic they are introduced during a run rally astatine the Hertz Arena connected October 31, 2018 successful Estero, Florida.  (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

DeSantis suspended his statesmanlike run conscionable 2 days up of the New Hampshire superior and has since endorsed Trump. But to date, DeSantis hasn’t campaigned connected behalf of Trump.

During a February telephone with supporters, the politician took purpose astatine Trump and his apical governmental advisers.

"I deliberation he’s got radical successful his interior ellipse who were portion of our orbit years agone that we fired, and I deliberation immoderate of that is they conscionable person an ax to grind," DeSantis said astatine the time.

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Republican statesmanlike campaigner erstwhile President Donald Trump pumps his fist arsenic helium departs aft speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, successful Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 24, 2024. A Cook County justice ordered the Illinois State Board of Elections to instrumentality erstwhile President Donald Trump's sanction disconnected of the state's March 19 superior ballot Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, but placed her bid connected clasp until Friday to let an appeal.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Responding, apical Trump run adjutant Chris LaCivita called DeSantis a "sad small man."

While galore connected Trump’s squad and successful his wider governmental orbit detest DeSantis, the erstwhile president whitethorn beryllium much forgiving, if it benefits him.

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Trump said successful January aft DeSantis endorsed him that helium would "officially retire" the derogatory "Ron DeSanctimonious" nickname helium utilized repeatedly to onslaught the Florida politician for astir a year.