Surprise guest Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a long-time Donald Trump supporter, was spotted Friday night at Ron DeSantis' Florida political retreat where the Republican governor is cultivating support for a likely run for the presidency, Politico reported.
DeSantis is hosting the three-day event for some 150 guests at the Four Seasons hotel — just a few miles from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. It's been pitched as a celebration of DeSantis' conservative “Florida blueprint."
Johnson has been a staunch supporter of Trump, and even tried to present a roster of fake electors after the last presidential election in a bid to overturn the result. Politico reported that Johnson participated in a panel at the retreat on the "medical establishment," moderated by DeSantis, which likely attacked efforts to stop the spread of COVID.
Johnson's office attempted to downplay his participation in the retreat, and emphasized that he will not endorse a candidate in the presidential primary. “Sen. Johnson historically does not endorse in primaries and plans to continue this trend and remain impartial in 2024,” the senator's spokesperson Corinne Day told Politico.
Other lawmakers, governors and donors who have supported Trump in the past also attended the retreat, including Texas fundraiser Roy Bailey, Trump’s National Finance Committee co-chair in his 2016 race. Bailey recently told The Dallas Morning News that many contributors are waiting to see if DeSantis enters the 2024 presidential primary before deciding which candidate to back.
Oklahoma's Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who benefited from a Trump-endorsed fundraiser and met with the former president at Mar-a-Lago last year, was also at the retreat.
A spokesperson for Sitt told Politico that the governor "believes Ron DeSantis has done an excellent job leading as Florida’s governor, especially through COVID, supporting law enforcement, reforming education and supporting parental rights."
