Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis told reporters Wednesday that “nothing has changed” in terms of his relationship with President Trump after Politico reported this week that the president was accusing him of disloyalty.
Politico, citing people familiar with the matter, reported on Tuesday that Trump was angry at DeSantis after the former congressman publicly broke with him over the official death toll in Puerto Rico.
{mosads} However, DeSantis on Wednesday said his relationship with President Trump remained the same when asked about the Politico report at a news conference.
“I don’t think anything’s changed. I think we are good,” DeSantis said, according to a clip from local channel WKMG News 6.
DeSantis also replied “Sure,” when asked whether he believed President Trump would still campaign for him, according to a report from Florida Politics.
Trump reportedly saw the disagreement as an act of disloyalty from a candidate the president has strongly supported, according to Politico.
Although DeSantis has closely aligned his Florida gubernatorial campaign with Trump, he joined other lawmakers in breaking with the president’s claims last week that the death toll for Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was inflated.
“Ron DeSantis knows first-hand that President Trump honored all requests for Hurricane Maria relief and it is sad, though predictable, that Democrats are wrongly politicizing this issue and that the media is constantly trying to drive a wedge between the President and members of his own party,” his campaign said in a statement to The Hill.
“As Governor Ron will continue to work with the President through his re-election and second term to accomplish great things for Florida.”
DeSantis is locked in a tight race to succeed term-limited Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R). Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) leads DeSantis by less than 4 points, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls.