Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he’s had no discussion with former President Donald Trump or anyone else about being the former president’s running mate for a 2024 presidential bid.
There has been speculation that DeSantis—a Republican who has developed national prominence for his policies targeting
critical race theory, lockdowns, and vaccine passports—could potentially run for president in 2024 or join Trump if he decides to run again.
“I haven’t had any discussions with anybody about anything beyond what we are doing now because, you know, we are putting a lot of points on the board, and we are really going on offense, moving the ball forward,” DeSantis
told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Features” on June 13 when asked about whether he has had discussions with Trump.
DeSantis then attempted to downplay the 2024 speculation and focused on his own state.
“I have a great state, a big state,” he said. “We’ve got a lot on our plates here. We take it one day at a time and try to achieve things for the people of Florida.”
While DeSantis hasn’t made any definitive statements about running for a national office, he
told a crowd in May that he has “only begun to fight.” The governor has also been embarking on a fundraising campaign with GOP donors across several states.
During several interviews in recent months, Trump has said he would consider the Florida governor as a running mate for a potential 2024 run at the presidency.
“There are numerous people that are great” for vice president, Trump told Fox News last week.
“I would certainly consider Ron,” he said. “I was at the beginning of Ron. I was the first one to endorse him when he came out as a congressman that a lot of people didn’t know and my endorsement helped him tremendously and I know him very well. He’s a great guy.”
Trump made a similar remark in late April
by saying DeSantis “would be considered” as his running mate if he runs for president.
However, the former commander-in-chief hasn’t made any definitive statements regarding a possible 2024 bid, saying an announcement would likely come after the completion
of the 2022 midterms.
“From a legal standpoint, I don’t want to really talk about it yet. It’s a little too soon,” Trump
said in a separate interview on April 20. “I say this: I am looking at it very seriously. Beyond seriously.”
A recent report from Politico, which cited anonymous sources and his multi-state fundraising campaign schedule, suggested DeSantis has been heavily fundraising for his reelection efforts as Florida governor but is also working to create a national donor network for a possible 2024 bid.
“I just felt he was a perfect fit to come into Kentucky, especially with the group that we had,” GOP donor Kelly Craft said in the
report. “A lot of the folks have places in Florida, and the reception was amazing. This is a guy who has a national name, but at the same time is focused on Floridians.”
