The fracture between former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is finally playing on the public stage as the former President confirmed he’d be going to the state but wouldn’t be joining DeSantis.
On Wednesday (October 26), Trump confirmed in an announcement that he would hold a rally in Miami with Senator Marc Rubio (R-Fla.) on November 6 but didn’t mention DeSantis in the announcement.
A Trump adviser confirmed DeSantis won’t be attending the rally.
Reports have surfaced that DeSantis’ camp was angered by Trump’s team’s failure to inform them about the rally with any significant notice, given the rally is two days before the midterms.
The Trump rally would also interfere with — and distract from — any plans the DeSantis team may have had to host an event at a critical time before the midterms.
An individual close to DeSantis and a longtime Republican consultant discussed the significance of Trump’s event, saying, “You’ve got the Sunday before Election Day totally hijacked by Trump parachuting in on Trump Force One taking up the whole day.”
The consultant continued, “No Republican could go to a DeSantis event that day. None. And DeSantis won’t be here? This is big.”
Politico also reported that a source described as a “person who is influential in DeSantis’ world” relayed the move was “an elbow to Ron’s throat.”
But Trump’s advisors disagree with that representation, denying any bad blood between the two men. Instead, the Trump adviser explained that the Miami rally was part of a four-day tour Trump was doing before election day.
“This is an event President Trump is holding as part of a series of stops he is making for Republican Senate candidates,” the adviser to the former President said, claiming, “It came after he and Senator Rubio spoke directly.”
