Out yesterday, in today: DeSantis to speak at Republican National Convention
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is now slated to address the Republican National Convention next week, reversing earlier reports that he was not included on the speaker list.
The distant second-place runner-up in the Republican presidential primary is being given the spotlight treatment with a prominent speaking slot at the RNC after media reports about DeSantis' snub were published. "The schedule changed, and he's on the program," the source said, according to earlier reporting by USA TODAY.
The two-term Florida governor is also scheduled to participate in a Moms for Liberty panel discussion and a breakfast with his state delegation.
The convention's lineup, a weeklong celebration of former President Donald Trump's attempted return to presidential politics, is expected to be announced this week, but plans remain fluid.
More: Will Ron DeSantis help Donald Trump's 2024 campaign? The Republicans met privately in Florida
Trump and DeSantis, a history
DeSantis won the Florida governorship in 2018 with the help of Trump's endorsement, though their relationship became fraught when DeSantis put his hat in the ring for the 2024 Republican nomination. Some in Trump's circle and the former president saw his bid for the presidency as an act of betrayal, and the two sparred throughout the primary.
The former president branded the Florida governor as Ron "DeSanctimonious" and other highly personal terms. Still, DeSantis spent most of his campaign careful about hitting Trump back as he sought the GOP nomination.
DeSantis ultimately withdrew from the primary after losing the Iowa Caucus to Trump in January. Before his presidential bid plateaued, DeSantis was seen as a prolific fundraiser and popular governor who seemed positioned to try to take the GOP into a post-Trump era.
Before the Wednesday change, neither DeSantis nor Nikki Haley, the two of the top three vote-getters in the Republican presidential primary, were slated to speak at the RNC. Haley had endorsed Trump after dropping out of the primary in March and released her 97 delegates on Tuesday to support the presumptive nominee.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Ron DeSantis will speak at RNC convention, after all
