Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently posted a picture of President Donald Trump enjoying a round of golf with his wife, Casey, in Florida. The post, shared by DeSantis on Tuesday, highlighted the pair’s friendly competition, with DeSantis acknowledging that Trump and Casey “had no trouble winning the match.”
The timing of the post, however, raises eyebrows amid growing tensions between DeSantis and Trump. The Florida governor has been considering running for re-election, even as Trump has endorsed a formidable rival in Florida Rep. Byron Donalds for the GOP primary. This move by Trump is seen by some as an attempt to exact revenge on DeSantis, who challenged Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential race.
In Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power, journalist Alex Isenstadt details how Trump and his campaign strategized to undermine DeSantis’s bid for the White House. According to the book, Trump didn’t just want to prevent DeSantis from winning the Republican nomination; he sought to dismantle DeSantis’s political future entirely.
Trump’s frustration stems from DeSantis’ refusal to wait until 2028 to run for president. After Trump endorsed DeSantis for Florida governor in 2018, the governor’s decision to enter the race in 2023 without deferring to Trump sparked anger in the ex-president’s camp.
In the months leading up to DeSantis’s announcement, Trump’s campaign reportedly brainstormed ways to portray DeSantis as “weird” to the public. These efforts included circulating anecdotes about DeSantis’s quirks, such as the time he allegedly shoved chicken fingers into his jacket pocket and the incident where he supposedly clipped his toenails in a security vehicle.
One of the more bizarre tactics involved mocking DeSantis’ footwear. Trump’s team reportedly made fun of the governor’s high-heeled boots, using it as a way to further erode his image.
In another twist, Isenstadt’s book mentions a strange story involving DeSantis’s wife, Casey. The campaign allegedly circulated a tale about DeSantis following his wife around in a golf cart while she exercised in an attempt to help her lose weight. Another odd anecdote involved claims about DeSantis stockpiling dirty underwear in his gym locker when he was a congressman.
Perhaps the most damaging attack came from a MAGA Inc. commercial, which ridiculed DeSantis’ alleged eating habits. The commercial, which was created after an article about DeSantis’s penchant for eating chocolate pudding with his fingers, portrayed a DeSantis look-alike performing the same action. Despite initial hesitation about the commercial’s tone, it was released and quickly went viral.
Trump’s campaign had already weakened DeSantis’s image before the 2024 primaries even began. DeSantis’s lackluster performance in the Iowa caucuses, where he placed a distant second to Trump, led him to suspend his campaign shortly after.
As the race continued, DeSantis faced further challenges, including a strained relationship with his GOP rivals. Even as he tried to target Nikki Haley by visiting her home state of South Carolina, his campaign faltered, culminating in his return to Florida. Behind the scenes, Trump campaign operatives attempted to bring DeSantis to New Hampshire for a showdown, but the governor refused.
In the end, Trump’s bitterness toward DeSantis seemed to signal the end of any political future for the Florida governor. Trump himself admitted that he would have endorsed DeSantis as his successor had the governor waited another four years to run. But by challenging Trump, DeSantis had effectively ruined any hope of rebuilding their political relationship.
Both Ron and Casey DeSantis, along with Trump’s team, have yet to comment on the contents of Isenstadt’s book or the escalating feud.
Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump’s Return to Power will be released on March 18, offering an in-depth look at the power dynamics shaping the Republican primaries and the intricate battle for the 2024 nomination.