By Jill Colvin | Associated Press
NEW YORK — Former president Donald Trump met privately with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the weekend, according to three people familiar with the discussion, marking a detente between the former rivals after a brutal primary contest marked by insults and bruised egos.
The meeting, which lasted three hours, was organized to help the men bury the hatchet and discuss potential joint fundraising efforts, according to one of the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share details of the private get-together. The governor, during the conversation, committed to helping Trump as he faces President Joe Biden in the general election, the person said.
The meeting, which was first reported by The Washington Post, was orchestrated by Florida real estate investor Steve Witkoff, who knows both men.
Witkoff did not immediately respond to a request for comment through his office.
DeSantis has a deep network of donors from his runs for governor and president. Though he endorsed Trump when he dropped his bid for the GOP nomination in a video after failing to gain traction, he has yet to campaign or fundraise on Trump’s behalf.
The GOP primary was marked by a bitter rivalry between the two men, who had once been allies. Trump lambasted DeSantis as disloyal and nicknamed him Ron “DeSanctimonious,” while DeSantis suggested Trump would lose again in November.
Associated Press writer Tom Beaumont contributed to this report from Des Moines.