MIAMI, FL — In a move designed to unite the Republican party and their camps of supporters who may still have hard feelings toward each other in the wake of a contentious primary, former President Donald Trump announced that he had made amends with a bitter rival.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis received rare praise from former President Donald Trump a day after the pair had a "great meeting" in the Sunshine State.
A private meeting on Sunday between Trump, the 2024 presumptive Republican nominee for president, and his ex-rival DeSantis has fueled speculation that the former president may tap the Florida governor to be his running mate in November's election. However, a source told the Associated Press that the meeting was not to discuss the vice presidency and was more of a peace talk after a brutal primary. The discussion reportedly focused on discussing joint fundraising efforts to help Trump defeat his all-but-assured Democratic opponent, President Joe Biden.
Trump and DeSantis met for roughly three hours at real estate investor Steve Witkoff's Shell Bay Club in Hollywood, Florida. The meeting was the first time the pair had communicated since DeSantis dropped out of the Republican primaries earlier this year, The Washington Post reported. The meeting ended with the two Republicans hugging and kissing.
On Monday, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform about the get-together and touted the governor's "enthusiastic" endorsement for president despite previous acrimony stemming from DeSantis' decision to challenge him for the GOP nomination.
"I am very happy to have the full and enthusiastic support of Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida," Trump posted on Truth Social. "We had a great meeting yesterday, arranged by mutual friend Steve Witkoff, at his beautiful Shell Bay Club in Hollywood, Florida only minutes from the local shul, where we caught a mincha and shmoozed up some Orthodox Jewish supporters with heavy money. The conversation mostly concerned how we would work closely together to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Also discussed was the future of Florida, which is FANTASTIC! I greatly appreciate Ron's support in taking back our Country from the Worst President in the History of the United States. November 5th is a BIG DAY!!! I ESPECIALLY loved the hugging and kissing at the end of the meeting! The courts are trying to bankrupt me but with Rafael's help we will make Trump's campaign RICH again!!!"
"It's time for us to put aside our differences and unite with Ronnie DeStupidface," Trump said in a statement given to reporters outside a New York courthouse. "He has done a wonderful job as an overrated 3rd-rate governor of the state of Florida — a job he got because of my endorsement, by the way — and even though he lost to me horribly in the primary just like everyone else, I am proud to accept his humble support in my race for the White House. It's not about where we disagree, it's about where we DO agree, and about the fact that he didn't win, and I did, and my victory was so large, believe me. LARGE. HUGE. COLOSSAL."
"Rob DeStinkus will be a very powerful ally considering he was such a weak candidate against me and it wasn't even close."
The Trump campaign then released the following official statement notifying all staff and support team members of a list of nicknames for DeSantis that would no longer be used: "Please be advised that the following terms are being officially retired from official campaign use: Wrong DeStankis, Ron DeShortBus, Ron DeBaggyPants, Ron DeJerkFace, and Rob DeGenerate. Use of nicknames is subject to change. All nicknames for Pikky Faily are still free game unless she joins my team to help garner the female vote because she might be a lousy Governer but she is certainly female."
At publishing time, Trump remained confident that the two leaders could work well together. "He's a great guy," Trump said. "He wants America to be great, and so do I. And now we both want it to be great with me as president, which I will be. And he will not. And that's ok. Because I won. Big time. Wasn't even close."
