By Kit Maher | CNN
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told donors and supporters at an appreciation retreat over the weekend that he would help fundraise for former presidential rival Donald Trump, two sources familiar with the details told CNN.
“He’s committed to helping Trump in any and every way,” said Texas businessman Roy Bailey, who attended the retreat. “We are going to follow his lead, and we’re excited to do everything we can to get Trump elected.”
“If we can unlock and motivate our donors for Trump and put more fuel in his tank, that’s what we want to do, and that’s what we need to do to make sure [President Joe] Biden is not reelected,” Bailey said.
The appreciation retreat, which was held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, was for large donors, major fundraisers and finance committee members of the DeSantis campaign. DeSantis and his wife, Casey, attended. It was held on the same weekend the Trump campaign announced a record $50.5 million haul at a fundraiser in Mar-a-Lago.
Upon ending his bid for the White House in January, DeSantis endorsed Trump in the Republican primary, but he has not appeared with the former president at any campaign events since. At a news conference in Florida in March, DeSantis was asked if he would join Trump on the campaign trail and he emphasized how Florida was not as competitive a state anymore.
“This is not going to be a state that’s competitive in November, and that’s just the reality. So I don’t anticipate there being much campaign here for the top of the ticket,” DeSantis said. “How I can help nationally, I want to be able to do that, I don’t know exactly.”
NBC News was first to report that DeSantis plans to help fundraise for Trump.