Has the DeSantis comeback already begun?

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis is poised to take the most public steps yet to rebuild his political future after dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, campaigning for GOP candidates in Florida and beyond in the coming months — and taking a leading role in fighting an abortion-rights referendum in his home state.

After months of sniping with Donald Trump, DeSantis will soon use his connections and fundraising network to help the former president — and is expected to bring in millions of dollars. But he’s also raising money for members of Congress, including Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Laurel Lee (R-Fla.). Both backed his bid for president.

DeSantis is also planning to head out of state to campaign with GOP candidates for U.S. Senate.

“The governor is still a very powerful brand and a powerful fundraiser,” said one Florida Republican fundraiser who was granted anonymity to speak freely.

DeSantis’ biggest focus in 2024 is still Florida, where he’ll be fighting two ballot measures that, if approved by voters, would expand access to abortion and allow the sale and use of recreational marijuana. The governor disagrees with the policies and also must confront the risk that the initiatives could drive Democratic turnout.

“I think the governor has made it clear he wants to play a role in defeating the amendments,” said Evan Power, chair of the Republican Party of Florida.

Widespread speculation about DeSantis and his political ambitions has remained in constant churn since DeSantis dropped his bid for president in January after coming in a distant second in Iowa. DeSantis is viewed as having ambitions to mount a bid in 2028, but some wondered how damaged he had been by his battles with Trump for the nomination.

The governor’s cooperation with Trump remains somewhat surprising. Trump repeatedly trashed DeSantis for challenging him while the governor took his own jabs at the former president, including after he suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump. DeSantis has also expressed no interest in being Trump’s running mate and earlier this year brushed aside the need to actively campaign for him in Florida — a state that went for Trump in both 2016 and 2020.

But after raising tens of millions for his reelection campaign — some of which was shifted to a super PAC for his presidential bid — he still has connections with a raft of large donors. And he promised to tap into those donors during a weekend meeting with Trump that was arranged by Florida real-estate developer and investor Steve Witkoff. The meeting was held at an exclusive golf club in South Florida and four people, granted anonymity to discuss the event, said it was one-on-one with no else in the room.

Trump posted on Truth Social that it was a “great meeting” and that it concerned “how we would closely together.” He also said that they discussed “the future of Florida, which is FANTASTIC!”

When asked about his rivalry with Trump on Wednesday, DeSantis brushed it aside by telling reporters: "I think when you’re in these primaries, you know, they have a dynamic. I think now we’re in a position where we are unified across issues as Republicans."

DeSantis’ fundraising acumen that he's pledged to help Trump has already been at work for other Republicans. He held three fundraisers for Roy in Florida last week, and the fundraiser for Lee is scheduled for May 13 in Miami Beach. Trump last month suggested on social media that someone should challenge Lee in the GOP primary, but qualifying ended without any well-known Republicans stepping up to run against the former judge and secretary of state.

“The congresswoman is very appreciative of the help from the governor, but as a policy we don’t discuss the details of our fundraising activities,” said Sarah Bascom, a spokesperson for Lee.

The weekend meeting with Trump also touched on what role, if any, DeSantis would play at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Three people granted anonymity to freely discuss the matter relayed that the governor was not asking for a speaking slot but merely offering to assist.

Officials with Trump's campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

The sit-down occurred in a middle of what appears to be an attempt by DeSantis to reappraise his relationships with opponents and past allies. DeSantis on Wednesday held a public bill signing of a top priority piece of legislation for Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and included Simpson at the press conference. The two men have had frosty relations in the past, and Simpson never endorsed DeSantis’ presidential run.

DeSantis also recently reached an accord with Disney, which came after Florida won several legal battles with the entertainment giant.

If DeSantis runs for president again in 2028, the two initiatives going before voters this November could be a negative spot on his record if voters approve them.

Democrats have already insisted that Florida — which went to Trump in the last two presidential elections along with a nearly 19 point win by DeSantis two years ago — could be back in “play” as a battleground state due to the measures. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have visited the state twice in the past week to draw attention to a new ban on abortion after six weeks that DeSantis signed into law.

DeSantis this week publicly mocked Democrats and dared them to spend money in the third most populous state.

“Light up the airwaves — do it, light it on fire,” DeSantis said this week. “We are fine with you doing that here. But I can confidently predict that you’ll see Republican victories not just at the top of the ticket, but up and down the ballot.”

Nikki Fried, the chair of the Florida Democratic Party, had her own retort.

"The reason that Trump and DeSantis met is because Trump knows Florida is in play and he’s asked [DeSantis] to step up," Fried said.

It’s still unclear how DeSantis will work to defeat the two amendments. There is anticipation that he will help raise money for an organized effort. But DeSantis has already used his perch as the state’s chief executive to rail against both amendments during a stretch of recent media appearances across the state. The governor has branded the abortion rights amendment as too extreme and contended that the amendment would allow widespread proliferation of marijuana in the state — positions rejected by the supporters of both.

But one Republican consultant said even after the presidential run, DeSantis still has positive marks among Florida voters and that strong opposition from the governor can pull down the amendments underneath the 60 percent threshold needed for passage.

“If I was one of those amendment organizers I wouldn't want this to be a referendum on a governor with a job approval in the mid '50s," said the consultant, who was granted anonymity to openly discuss the governor.