Trump and DeSantis move closer to full political reconciliation as Florida: There Is Now a Highway with the President's Name

The long, messy political breakup between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis is looking more and more like a reconciliation, and the clearest evidence is now coming from Florida itself, inside and outside of Mar-a-Lago.

In recent weeks, DeSantis has signed off on a series of high-profile honors for Trump in his home state, while also taking tangible steps to help cement Trump's legacy in Miami. The latest sign came this week, when DeSantis signed a new law renaming State Road 80 in Florida, a 125-mile stretch of highway that runs from Lee County to Palm Beach County, as the "President Donald J. Trump Highway."

He had already renamed Palm Beach Airport.

During the weekend, Trump was seen spending time with DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis at Trump National Doral in Miami, in footage later described by the White House and reported by multiple outlets.

That public appearance added to what has become a broader reset between the two men, whose relationship has swung from alliance to bitter rivalry and now back toward cooperation.

Trump was instrumental in DeSantis' rise. In 2018, he endorsed the then-congressman in Florida's Republican gubernatorial primary, giving DeSantis a major boost as he sought statewide office. By 2020, the two were appearing together as political partners, especially as Florida became central to the national conservative response on COVID-19 and culture-war politics.

But by late 2022 and into 2023, the relationship had turned toxic as DeSantis emerged as Trump's most serious rival for the Republican presidential nomination. The rivalry became public and personal, with Trump repeatedly reminding audiences that he had helped make DeSantis politically viable in the first place.

That feud formally cooled in January 2024, when DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Trump. At the time, the move ended months of attacks that had defined much of the Republican primary.

But what is happening now goes beyond merely ending a feud, since it looks like a careful rebuilding of ties.

One of the biggest examples is the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library. In September 2025, DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet approved the conveyance of a 2.63-acre parcel in Miami-Dade County, adjacent to the Freedom Tower, for the future Trump library. In a state press release, DeSantis explicitly framed the project as a Florida priority, saying the library in Miami would be good for the state, the city and Miami Dade College. NBC Miami later reported that the Trump Presidential Library Foundation had obtained the planned site near Miami's Freedom Tower, after DeSantis had proposed using a parcel at Miami-Dade College's Wolfson Campus.

The symbolism is hard to miss. The governor who once tried to displace Trump is now helping place Trump's presidential legacy in the center of downtown Miami.

DeSantis has also signed legislation honoring Trump in other ways.

On March 30, DeSantis signed a bill renaming Palm Beach International Airport after Trump, pending Federal Aviation Administration approval. The paper noted DeSantis was doing so as he continued to mend fences with Trump.

The shift is also visible in Trump's tone. Last month, Trump said he would consider bringing DeSantis into his administration once the governor's term ends, adding that "he's doing a good job," according to the Tampa Bay Times.

DeSantis has also expressed interest in a seat in the House of Representatives.