HOLLYWOOD, Florida – Ron DeSantis is playing nice with his most loyal donors and, at least over the weekend, ignored Donald Trump.
During a South Florida retreat for the governor’s donors that included golf, cigars and spa time — and little mention of the presumptive GOP nominee — DeSantis thanked and courted the people who most avidly supported his presidential bid. Part of the weekend was also thinking about how he could keep Florida front and center in the conservative movement with more than two and a half years left as governor.
Robert Salvador, a DeSantis donor, recalled that the governor’s team “said, probably 10 different times, that we still have three years here to do all of this. “We have three years to make this a beacon of freedom and keep it a beacon of freedom.”
What went unsaid over the weekend, however, were DeSantis’ ambitions for another presidential run and any substantive mention by the governor of Trump, his former rival for the Republican nomination who was also celebrating a massive fundraising at the home of a Palm Beach billionaire, just over an hour’s drive away. Trump still lives in Florida and is often still the biggest story of the day.
While DeSantis made good on his promise to endorse Trump immediately after dropping out of the presidential race, he has not aggressively argued that Trump needs to defeat President Joe Biden in November. In fact, it has been quite the opposite: In previous interviews and previous virtual meetings with donors, DeSantis criticized Trump for his use of “identity politics” to choose a running mate and for his vulnerabilities in the general election. Trump and his campaign have responded by mocking DeSantis in brutal and personal ways.
But over the weekend at the event held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, DeSantis refrained from criticizing the president and instead seemed focused on the few remaining years of his administration.
The Trump campaign declined to comment for this story, but the campaign’s timing upset some Republicans, who would like to see DeSantis embrace Trump more tightly as the former president tries to close a fundraising gap with Biden. Dennis Lennox, a Republican operative who helped organize a letter on behalf of Michigan Republican state lawmakers to get DeSantis to run for president, said the timing of the retreat, which partly overlaps with the Trump event, “ “It feeds a narrative that he is undermining Trump.” .”
Another veteran GOP operative, granted anonymity to discuss the event without retaliation, said the DeSantis event was a bad look while Republicans from top to bottom were working to beat Democrats, especially with a ban of the six-week abortion that DeSantis signed into law in Florida. that will take effect in less than a month, one Democrat plans to try to use it against the Republican Party.
“The optics are crazy,” said the person who will not be attending the retreat. “We have a presidential election going on. [DeSantis] Couldn’t you wait until after November? He is starting his campaign for president in the middle of a presidential campaign. Another dull movement.”
DeSantis said at a recent news conference that he plans to help Republicans across the United States, but has not specified any race. On Saturday, DeSantis told the audience that he would raise money for Republicans. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who endorsed DeSantis for president, also spoke on a panel Saturday and said they wanted Trump to beat Biden in November.
The retreat, planned months ago, was apparently not about DeSantis running for president in 2028, although the governor said he has not ruled it out and retreat attendees widely acknowledged that they would like to see the 45-year-old take another shot at the White House. Until then, they see an opportunity for him to lead the conservatives as governor.
“Governor. “DeSantis can lead with ideas and legislation at the state level, setting the course for other states and the rest of the country,” Roy Bailey, who was one of three finance chairs for DeSantis’ presidential campaign, said before the retirement.
In a speech to donors Friday night, DeSantis again touched on familiar themes, boasting about Florida’s low taxes, “freedom” and “law and order,” according to numerous donors who attended. State officials held a panel on Florida policies, covering everything from school vouchers to election laws. The Fight Right political action committee, which emerged late in the campaign and organized the retreat, hosted work sessions with donors and former presidential campaign staff.
“I was a little surprised by the lack of sensuality,” said one retreat attendee, who was granted anonymity to speak about the event, which was closed to the media. The person said that at the Saturday morning task force, where DeSantis was present, attendees mainly discussed policy and how much the governor should talk about Florida and whether DeSantis should focus on trying to spread his conservative message more broadly. .
“2028 hasn’t been in the discussion at all, which surprised me,” the person added.
Donors encouraged DeSantis to make himself more available to the press, something the governor also expressed regret about. Supporters and critics alike have expressed many opinions about what DeSantis did wrong during his short presidential run, including pushing too many right-wing policies that would turn off voters, using inexperienced campaign staff, mismanaging his funds and a general disability. to connect with voters.
His supporters disagree over whether he went after Trump too hard or not enough, and worry that he gave Never Back Down, the main PAC behind his presidential run, too much power over traditional campaign operations.
But despite criticism of his campaign, DeSantis returned to Florida and maintained a busy schedule signing bills, traveling the state to promote his agenda and resuming day-to-day activities. Florida’s first family is even talking about getting a second dog for the governor’s mansion to accompany the rescue they brought in shortly after Trump crushed DeSantis in Iowa.
On Friday night, DeSantis mingled with the 150 retreat guests in attendance looking relaxed, friendly and in his element, donors said. DeSantis has made overtures to donors since he dropped out of the presidential race in January after cultivating a reputation for not giving them the show of appreciation and attention they normally receive from politicians.
“He’s no longer on the campaign trail,” said Miami-based donor George Heisel. “He’s just serving Florida.”
