In a sign DeSantis was not proving a threat to Trump, the Republican Party of Florida voted in September 2023 not to require participants in the state's 2024 presidential primary to pledge to support the eventual nominee, which ensured Trump would not have to pledge support to DeSantis when the two were locked in a bitter campaign.

DeSantis folded his campaign after a disappointing finish in Iowa, a state his operation made its first and last stand in before withdrawing as polls plummeted in New Hampshire. But the Governor continued to weigh in on Trump’s campaign, telling supporters he worried that “identity politics” would drive Trump’s pick of a running mate.

A push by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to crack down on ballot initiatives could have unforeseen consequences for the business interests of his state’s most prominent resident: President Donald Trump.