Ron DeSantis Requested a Sit-Down to Kiss Trump’s Ring, Protect His 2028 Ambitions: Report

During the 2024 Republican primary, before Florida governor Ron DeSantis dropped out, Donald Trump:

• Claimed DeSantis openly wept while begging for an endorsement during his first gubernatorial run
• Told people DeSantis would be working for a law firm or “a Pizza Hut” if it wasn’t for him
• Nicknamed DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious”
• Ominously threatened to reveal “things about him that won’t be very flattering”
• Shared on Truth Social an image of DeSantis appearing to party with high school girls, and the claim that DeSantis was “grooming high school girls with alcohol as a teacher” (Trump’s own captions read, “No way?” and “That’s not Ron, is it? He would never do such a thing!”)*

After DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Trump—but not as enthusiastically as some people believed he should have—a top Trump adviser called the governor a “sad little man” who would only be remembered for “chicken fingers and pudding cups.” Later, after DeSantis told reporters he would help Trump campaign “nationally,” but probably not in Florida because it won’t be a hard state for the ex-president to win, the Trump campaign said, “Ron really shouldn’t flatter himself by assuming we’d want him on the campaign trail. We’re actually trying to win.” After that, DeSantis felt the need to tell donors he would raise money for Trump. But apparently, the governor felt the need to go a step further vis-à-vis groveling, hence this ring-kissing session with the ex-president that reportedly took place over the weekend.

Per The Washington Post:

Former president Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met privately Sunday morning in Miami, according to people familiar with the matter, breaking a years-long chill between the presumptive Republican nominee and his onetime chief primary rival…. The pair met for several hours and DeSantis agreed to help Trump. The meeting was friendly, according to a person with direct knowledge.

While it would be mutually beneficial for Trump and DeSantis to bury the hatchet—Team Trump reportedly hopes the governor’s donors will help raise huge sums of money—the appeal for the sit-down, which was arranged by Florida real estate investor Steve Witkoff, apparently came from the governor’s team (a Trump official told Politico it was a “good meeting set at the request of Gov. DeSantis”). Because DeSantis knows any future political aspirations he has mean nothing without the support of the guy who has a death grip on the Republican Party.

Here’s the Post again:

People close to DeSantis have said it is untenable for him to continue to have a strained relationship with Trump, particularly as he eyes his political future. He is widely viewed among Republican donors and consultants as weakened after a shellacking by Trump in the primary…. The two men have never been personally close, but Trump endorsed DeSantis in 2018 for governor of Florida—and once viewed him as a rising star in the party.

In recent weeks, DeSantis held an event for donors at a resort in Florida, and people close to him said he is potentially interested in running for president again in 2028. During the Republican primary, Trump told advisers he wanted to hurt DeSantis for 2028, too.

DeSantis is apparently hoping sufficient ass kissing, no matter how humiliating, will put an end to that.

*Asked about Trump’s insinuations then, DeSantis told reporters, “I spend my time delivering results for the people of Florida and fighting against Joe Biden. That’s how I spend my time. I don’t spend my time trying to smear other Republicans.”)

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