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Trump and DeSantis Rattle the Tin Cup in Palm Beach

What better place to collect campaign donations than Palm Beach?

While everyone in the northeast is watching for crocuses and daffodils to begin poking their heads out of the cold, hard ground, folks able to enjoy the Florida high life are reaping the benefits of sunny skies and temperatures hovering in the mid-80s. If a candidate wants to raise money for a presidential campaign, they need look no further than Palm Beach, FL. Beginning today, Feb 23, that will be the epicenter of fundraising activities for former President Donald Trump, who makes his home on the barrier island, and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who will be just a stone’s throw away collecting cash for his unannounced but highly expected run for the Republican presidential nomination.

The former president will be the main attraction at a swank fundraiser held on the lush Mar-a-Lago grounds today, collecting donations for MAGA, Inc., a political action committee formed to provide sustenance for another second-term effort. Beginning tomorrow, fresh off a tour of deep blue cities where he poked a leftist bear or two, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis begins a three-day donor retreat at the Four Seasons Palm Beach.

Where Better Than Palm Beach?s

Palm Beach is where the local newspaper is known as The Shiny Sheet because of its high-end newsprint. As an amusing side note, servants used to iron the Palm Beach Daily News, so the reader did not get newsprint all over their hands. High net-worth individuals flock to places like this because of the ability to rub elbows with people of a similar socio-economic ilk and because Mar-a-Lago and the Four Seasons provide top-shelf service.

While Mar-a-Lago is known for its posh surroundings, the Four Seasons Palm Beach is no slouch. It’s the kind of hotel where young, athletic men sidle up to ladies sunning poolside and ask if the occupant would like a mimosa, a fresh towel, or even have their sunglasses wiped clean. In other words, three days of wining and dining affluent donors will not exactly be a hardship duty and will likely bear fruit for DeSantis.

This week is a prime example of the importance of a presidential candidate needing to be at the right place at the right time. Donald Trump traveled to East Palestine, OH, to commiserate with residents trying to recover from a toxic spill resulting from a train derailment. And Gov. DeSantis was sparring with local officials in the Big Apple as part of his sweeping blue-city extravaganza.

Joe Biden, meanwhile, was hanging out in Ukraine and Poland. That resulted in an intense political beat down from Americans who see the president’s whereabouts as signaling he is more interested in world affairs than the folks back home.

Trump and DeSantis: Digging for Dough

GettyImages-1246619890 (1) Donald Trump

Donald Trump (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Historically Mr. Trump has fundraised in a more populist manner than the Florida governor. The Trump camp is adept at foraging for funds among the small-dollar donors by using a list of those who have proven interest in his candidacy. He continually sends out emails to his base and reaps the reward. It could be said that Trump is the master of the internet donor, putting out carefully worded appeals for funds in all caps and urging his base to contribute.

DeSantis, according to the Wall Street Journal, “has shown strength with wealthy donors.” The Journal quoted Republican political strategist Terry Sullivan, who asserted, “High-dollar donors don’t matter as much to Trump” because his online list comes through for him. Those chosen to participate in the three-day Four Seasons event for Gov. DeSantis are handpicked from a carefully honed list of Republican donors. There will only be 150 such individuals present, allowing the governor to personally connect with most if not all of them. A peek at the program reveals the private event begins “Friday with a cocktail reception, followed by a dinner and panel discussion, with post-dinner drinks and cigars.”

Gov. DeSantis is said to be sitting on another $70 million left over from his campaign for re-election as governor. It could be said that the two most often mentioned to win the GOP nod are playing with relative civility in the sandbox – and are co-existing at this point. Should DeSantis formally put his hat in the ring for president, all bets, as they say, might be off. But in the meantime, both candidates know the lifeblood of a successful political campaign is money, and both will have their hands out this week in the Sunshine State.

Read More From Leesa K. Donner

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