The media has pitched a rift between Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump, but the former president considers it a push of politics of division.
"It's totally fake news," Trump told Fox News' "Hannity" on Thursday night, refuting any talk of a rift between the top 2024 GOP presidential contenders. "I think Ron said last week, he said it very publicly, 'The press is never going to get in the middle of my friendship with Donald Trump. We're not going to do that stuff.'
"And he said it very strongly. I thought that was very interesting, actually, and very nice. But he said that, and I agree with him 100%. I have a very good relationship with Ron and intend to have it for a long time."
Trump noted DeSantis was a House member when he first entered the Oval Office, and helped push him to the governor's mansion in 2018. DeSantis is running for reelection as governor of Florida this year, making any 2024 presidential ticket talk premature.
"I get along great with Ron," Trump said. "Ron was very good on the [special counsel Robert] Mueller hoax. He was right up front with Jim Jordan and all of the others. He was fantastic. The Republicans really stuck together, and it was a great thing and Ron was one of them.
"Ron wanted to run and I endorsed him, and that helped him greatly. He has gone on and done a terrific job in Florida. Ron has been a friend of mine for a long time."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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