Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Pushes Wife Casey To Succeed Him – But Trump Has A Different Candidate

President Donald Trump posted his endorsement to Truth Social of U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds in the 2026 race to succeed Ron DeSantis as governor of Florida. Donalds announced his bid shortly after Trump’s public endorsement. The support comes after Trump joined the DeSantises on a golf outing the same week.

A post to X from Gov. DeSantis pictures Trump and Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis, who has also announced her desire to succeed her term-limited spouse. Trump joined the couple for a round of golf at his West Palm Beach golf course.

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DeSantis has also signaled support for his wife to run for governor, and criticized Donalds at a recent press conference saying the congressman “hasn’t been a part of any of the victories that we have had here over the left over these last years.”

The early campaign launch from Donalds, a top Trump congressional ally, paired with the president’s support marked his status as the perceived front-runner in the Republican primary.

“The president doesn’t lose. The president is loyal,” one Trump adviser told NBC News. “Once he endorses someone, he wants to see it through. Of all people, Ron DeSantis knows that.”

In 2018, Trump threw his support behind DeSantis’ unlikely run for governor, helping him secure a victory. The two maintained a close political alliance for several years after that, but their relationship has been marked by ups and downs. Things took a turn during the 2024 presidential race when they openly clashed. From Trump’s perspective—and that of his inner circle—DeSantis’ decision to run against him was viewed as a betrayal, especially given Trump’s early role in boosting DeSantis’ political rise.

Last month, Donalds unveiled a list of high-profile GOP supporters, including tech billionaire and former Trump adviser David Sacks. Trump later boosted the announcement by sharing it on Truth Social. The post listed several backers who had previously supported or donated to DeSantis.

The Florida governor, who still maintains regular contact with many of them, has recently been reaching out directly. According to NBC News, three sources familiar with the conversations said DeSantis has been making calls to highlight that Casey DeSantis is seriously weighing a campaign of her own—an effort aimed at either getting donors to reconsider backing Donalds or, at the very least, pause their contributions for the time being.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz is the only other major Republican who said he is considering a run for governor. A recent University of North Florida poll showed Casey DeSantis with 57 percent approval among Florida Republicans, compared to 27 percent for Donalds and Gaetz at 33 percent.