Gov. DeSantis to Headline Rallies Supporting Trump-Endorsed Candidates: ‘Unite’

Then-President Donald Trump and Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis hold a COVID-19 and storm preparedness roundtable in Belleair, Fla., on July 31, 2020. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is embarking on a multi-state campaign to support GOP candidates backed by former President Donald Trump, according to Turning Point Action.

DeSantis, a Republican, will travel to Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Mexico to support GOP candidates such as Pennsylvania’s GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, Arizona Republican candidate for Senate Blake Masters, Arizona GOP nominee for governor Kari Lake, and Ohio Republican candidate for Senate JD Vance, according to the group. Trump endorsed all of the candidates in question.

DeSantis is also scheduled to join a New Mexico rally for Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Ronchetti and House of Representatives incumbent Yvette Herrell, both of whom are running against their Democrat opponents.

“Gov. DeSantis is America’s governor and one of the most popular leaders in America,” Charlie Kirk, the head of Turning Point Action, said in a statement to news outlets on Monday. “He has become the model for a new conservative movement that is willing to stand on principle and to actually fight on behalf of the values of his voters.”

DeSantis has not made a public comment about the matter. The Epoch Times has contacted his campaign for comment.

What It Means

DeSantis is considered “a wildly popular political figure and I think he can really make a difference for some of these candidates,” said Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Turning Point Action, told Reuters. The group is operated by Kirk’s Turning Point USA.

Republican gubernatorial candidate for Arizona Kari Lake (L) speaks as former President Donald Trump looks on at a rally at the Canyon Moon Ranch festival grounds in Florence, Ariz., on Jan. 15, 2022. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Kolvet said DeSantis, who has drawn praise for refusing to implement COVID-19 vaccine mandates and lockdowns, has the “ability to appeal to independents and rally support on the margins,” adding, “These races are going to be won by 1, 2, 3 percent. His appeal is strong enough that he can deliver.”

In statements Monday, Lake and Masters said that they both welcome DeSantis’s endorsement.

“What Gov. DeSantis has done in Florida has been the gold standard of bold conservative governance in America,” Lake said. “I’m excited to work with him when I’m governor, I’m honored to call him an ally and I can’t wait for him to join me in taking the message and vision of our ‘America First’ campaign out to the masses.”

“Thanks to Mark Kelly, Arizonans have none of the basics—a secure border, safe streets, functioning economy, or schools that actually teach our kids,” Masters said in a statement. “By contrast, look at everything Governor Ron DeSantis has done for Floridians to keep their state strong, safe, and free of the woke mob.”

The rallies come ahead of Florida’s Aug. 23 primary. The Republican governor has virtually no primary challenger and is considered a heavy favorite to defeat his Democrat opponents during the Florida general election in November 2022.

Reuters contributed to this report.