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Former President Thanks New York and Miami-Based Developer for Hosting ‘Big Meeting’ with Florida Governor
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Thanks to Steve Witkoff, Donald Trump buried the hatchet with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom he derisively nicknamed “Meatball Ron” and “Ron DeSanctimonious” in the Republican presidential primaries.
On his Truth Social and Instagram accounts, the former president, who has lately faced criminal charges in New York, credited Witkoff with negotiating peace with DeSantis. The governor’s 2024 presidential ambitions have collapsed dramatically, even though he has the only Republican candidate with a realistic chance. to beat Trump for the Republican nomination.
“We had a wonderful meeting yesterday, hosted by mutual friend Steve Witkoff, at his lovely Shell Bay Club in Hollywood, Florida,” Trump wrote. “The most common verbal exchange about how we were going to work together to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. “
Trump and DeSantis met for three hours and discussed possible joint fundraising initiatives, The Associated Press reported.
A spokesman for Witkoff did not respond to a request for comment.
Shell Bay Club is a private club with a golf course and tennis courts designed by Greg Norman, whose annual club price is $1 million. The property, owned by Witkoff and his wife Ari Pearl, is located in Hallandale Beach. Developers are also building a 20-story two-story luxury apartment tower and 100 housing complexes on a 150-acre site.
Witkoff’s namesake company is leading a handful of landmark projects in South Florida, including the redevelopment of the Shore Club in Miami Beach. The New York and Miami-based developer strongly agrees with Trump. Federal campaign finance records show Witkoff donated a total of $273,200 to Trump’s presidential crusade and 3 political action committees last year.
Witkoff also appears to have planned to use a VIP segment at the Formula 1 Grand Prix Crypto. com Miami this weekend at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens in order to raise cash for Trump’s campaign, according to South Florida Fox Sports radio host Andy Slater.
Over the weekend, Slater posted a symbol on X, formerly Twitter, of a stop-and-desist letter sent to Witkoff through the Formula 1 race organizer. Witkoff allegedly asked members of the Shell Bay Club to buy tickets to Witkoff’s “Paddock Club Rooftop Suite” for $250,000. each, the letter said. Race organizers alleged that Witkoff “raised money for a federal election, which obviously violated” his agreement with the Miami Grand Prix.
“If this is true, we will inform you that your suite license will be revoked, you will not be allowed to attend the race at any time, and we will refund you the full amount,” the letter reads. “Political campaigning has its place, and it’s not in our race. “
The Miami Grand Prix’s race track and transition grandstands, called the Miami International Autodrome, are owned by billionaire developer Steve Ross, who also owns Hard Rock Stadium. Ross, a longtime Republican who founded related New York-based companies, faced backlash in 2019. when he hosted a Trump fundraiser. Federal campaign finance records show Ross and Associates made no political contributions last year.
Witkoff bringing Trump and DeSantis together may help the former president win over some of DeSantis’ donors and supporters who were put off by Trump’s relentless attacks on Florida’s most level-headed lawmaker in the primary. But Trump doesn’t actually want DeSantis to win the Sunshine State in the November general election. choice.
Trump, who lives at his personal Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, won the state’s No. 1 Republican election last month by an overwhelming majority, capturing 81% of the GOP vote. DeSantis came in third, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki. Haley after any of the applicants dropped out.
First, Trump faced a dozen candidates, including Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who was the first candidate to drop out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination after failing to qualify for the first debate last year. But it was DeSantis who drew the most parte. de Trump’s ire.
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