Governor of Florida. Ron DeSantis At a private retreat last weekend, he said he plans to help donors and supporters raise money Donald Trump‘s presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
DeSantis said he was acting to help his allies Trump The people said during a special gathering at South Florida’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on Saturday.
“He said it in front of a group of people at the Hard Rock,” a DeSantis adviser told NBC News.
When DeSantis withdrew his presidential bid in January, he pledged to support Republicans on the ballot “including the presidency,” the person said.
DeSantis’ comments come both before the governor dropped out of the presidential primary race and after he is effectively at political war with Trump. Even if the governor did, it’s unclear whether Trump and his team wanted DeSantis to help them or become his ally. Confirms Trump in January.
Many people who hear about DeSantis at the Hard Rock are likely to follow his lead and try to raise money for the former president, according to a fundraiser who attended the event.
“I would say the majority in the room would be willing to help Trump right now,” said a DeSantis packer at a recent meeting.
Roy Bailey, a Texas businessman who co-chairs DeSantis’ national financial advisory board, said in an interview Wednesday that he plans to help raise money for Trump as he did in 2020.
“I will follow the governor’s lead and do whatever he or President Trump asks me to do to help him win this election,” Bailey said.
“I know where DeSantis supporters are in Texas and across the country, and they want to help President Trump. Therefore, I will try to do it,” he added.
A Trump campaign adviser said they were unaware DeSantis would start raising money from them, but added that “everyone should be working to defeat Joe Biden and elect President Trump.”
The withdrawal of DeSantis’ donors came on the same day as what Trump’s campaign said was the largest fundraiser of the period. It collected 50.5 million dollars.
The two men have been longtime political allies since Trump’s endorsement helped DeSantis become governor in 2018. Once it became clear that DeSantis was considering running against Trump in 2024, the relationship soured, and by the end of DeSantis’ campaign, both sides they trash each other regularly.
Shortly after DeSantis left the race, his former political adviser Susie Wiles, who became Trump’s campaign manager, mocked the governor on social media: “Bye, bye.” DeSantis fired Wiles after he helped run his first gubernatorial campaign, adding a layer of personal rivalry to the case.
In February, DeSantis shared his concerns about Trump with his supporters, noting that he believes the former president should not play “identity politics” 2024 when choosing a running mate. Trump’s campaign later toppled DeSantis.
Still, getting DeSantis’ help could be a boon for Trump, as the former president trails President Joe Biden in fundraising.
DeSantis’ finance committee is full of fundraisers with huge networks who can help raise money for Trump.
Emil Henry, CEO of Tiger Infrastructure Partners, was a member of DeSantis’ national financial board. Others on the finance committee included Republican donors John Childs, Jay Zeidman and Bob Giuffra.
Trump’s campaign announced this It collected 50.5 million dollars On Saturday, there was a single event record at the home of investor John Paulson. That money will go to the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee, the political action committee that pays Trump’s legal bills and more than a dozen state party committees.
Biden announced his campaign and a collection of assembled Democratic committees It is more than 90 million dollars only in March.
Trump and the Republicans have acknowledged that they will be at a financial disadvantage through the 2024 cycle.