Trump, DeSantis meet for first time since primary

Trump "has shown a willingness to be forgiving and remarkably transactional when it benefits him"

(Image credit: Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

What happened

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) met privately on Sunday with a mutual acquaintance, real estate investor Steve Witkoff, who brokered the detente between the former bitter Republican presidential primary rivals. The hourslong meeting was described as "friendly," The Washington Post said.

Who said what

It was a "good meeting set at the request of Gov. DeSantis," a Trump campaign official said to Politico. Three DeSantis donors said it was "smart" for the two men to make peace.

The commentary

"DeSantis is widely loathed inside Trump's orbit," the Post said, but Trump "has shown a willingness to be forgiving and remarkably transactional when it benefits him." In this case, DeSantis is a "prodigious fundraiser," and Trump "badly needs the cash in the general election" against President Joe Biden's flush reelection campaign, Axios said.

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What next?

DeSantis is "not seen as a contender" to be Trump's running mate, The New York Times said, but he has "made clear he is interested in running for president again in 2028" and aiding Trump could help him "shed the negative weight of his disappointing campaign."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.