2024

Ron DeSantis Tells Donors He’ll Raise Money for Trump, Whose Campaign Called Him a “Sad Little Man”

The campaign adviser also previously said the Florida governor would only be remembered for “chicken fingers and pudding cups.”

By Bess Levin

April 10, 2024

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Shortly after Ron DeSantis dropped out of the GOP primary, he reportedly told supporters that he had no interest in being Donald Trump’s VP, claimed Trump effectively accomplished nothing of importance as president, lamented the support Trump gained after each indictment, and castigated the conservative media for not running critical stories about his opponent. In response, a top Trump adviser called the Florida governor a “sad little man” who would only be remembered for “chicken fingers and pudding cups.” Yet, apparently, none of that is stopping DeSantis from pulling out all the stops to help get Trump reelected.

At a donor retreat held last weekend, DeSantis told supporters he plans to fundraise for Trump’s campaign, according to NBC News. An adviser to the governor confirmed the news, reiterating to the outlet that DeSantis had previously said he would support all Republicans on the ballot in November, “including [at the] presidential” level. DeSantis‘s declaration will likely lead to his supporters raising money for the ex-president, with one telling NBC News: “I would say the majority in the room would now be willing to help Trump.” Businessman Roy Bailey, who cochaired DeSantis’s national finance advisory board, said, “I will follow the governor’s lead, and I will do anything that he or President Trump ask me to do to help him win this election.”

The news of DeSantis’s willingness to fundraise for Trump had immediate echos to the 2016 about-face from Ted Cruz, who went from blasting Trump for implying his wife was ugly (and suggesting his father palled around with the guy who assassinated JFK) to working the phones in front of a bunch of Trump-Pence signs. Trump never commented on DeSantis’s wife’s looks (that we know of), but he did:

Claim DeSantis shed tears while begging for an endorsement during DeSantis‘s first gubernatorial run
Declare DeSantis would be working for a law firm or “a Pizza Hut” if it wasn’t for him
Regularly call DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious”
Threaten to reveal “things about him that won’t be very flattering”
Share posts on Truth Social that included an image of DeSantis seemingly partying with high school girls while he was working at a private school, with the original post claiming DeSantis was “grooming high school girls with alcohol as a teacher” (Trump’s captions read: “No way?” and “That’s not Ron, is it? He would never do such a thing!” Asked about Trump’s insinuations then, DeSantis told reporters: “I spend my time delivering results for the people of Florida and fighting against Joe Biden. That’s how I spend my time. I don’t spend my time trying to smear other Republicans.”)

But apparently, that’s all water under the bridge.

In addition to having shades of Cruz, DeSantis’s decision to go from Trump competitor (and punching bag) to Trump bundler is not unlike the journey of a group of billionaires who disavowed the ex-president in the wake of January 6—saying things like “[Trump] lost me as a supporter” and vowing to never support him again—but recently came crawling back.

Fact-check: Trump said states should get to decide on abortion, and Arizona did just that