Making Sense of Trump’s Newfound Friendship With DeSantis | The American Spectator

Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump are two of the biggest names in conservative politics, but have been infamously at odds with one another since the Republican primaries for the 2024 presidential election. After a conference in Alligator Alcatraz, Florida’s new detainment facility, the two men seem to have put their disputes behind them.

The relationship between the president and governor wasn’t always tumultuous, but when Trump ran for reelection in 2024, the road became bumpy. When rumors began to circulate that DeSantis would run in the presidential primaries, a feud began to simmer between the two candidates. Mostly, Trump attributed DeSantis’s gubernatorial success to himself and found his running in the primary disloyal and disrespectful.

However, once DeSantis dropped out of the race, he endorsed his rival, and the relationship was mostly quiet until this week. When Trump journeyed to Florida in celebration of Alligator Alcatraz, he unashamedly praised DeSantis and his efforts in Florida.

When asked by reporters about his relationship with DeSantis, Trump jokingly feigned amnesia that there was ever bad blood between the competitors; he concluded that their friendship is “a 10.”

DeSantis seems likewise willing and eager to mend the relationship. Jumping in to answer the same question, DeSantis explained that he supported Trump immediately after dropping out of the race, and that “[they’ve] worked really well on this and other issues” since the president assumed office in January.

While the amicable relationship between these two giants is a blessing for conservative politics on its face, it may also bring massive implications for DeSantis’ political career in the future.

Though President Trump has not yet completed one full year of his second term, there are already the typical polls and murmurings about the 2028 presidential ticket. The success rate of Trump-endorsed candidates is not perfect, but the influence he holds over the current conservative movement is undeniable.  

Recent polling shows that JD Vance would be leading the primaries right now, but DeSantis’s numbers have gone up. While Vance, as the vice president of a thus-far extremely successful term (Trump’s agenda has been moving quickly forward since January), has a good chance at winning the Republican nomination, DeSantis is also held in high esteem by many Republicans.

DeSantis is seen as a fighter and a pioneer of the new face of conservatism. Between their COVID response, tough attitude toward crime, and family-friendly branding, Florida politics have set the standard for other Republican states. Perhaps DeSantis’s only pitfall was his rift with President Trump. 

After Trump was elected, DeSantis has been nothing but helpful to and compliant with the America First agenda. Now that their relationship has been mended, perhaps Republicans will see an uptick in the polls that favor DeSantis. As a very well-known Republican governor with an exemplary track record, a friendship with Trump could be all DeSantis needed to stand a chance in the primaries.

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