Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis down golf opponents amid rekindled friendship

They may have been bitter rivals in the 2024 presidential race, seeing red as they faced off in dueling media appearances and social media slams. But in 2025, President-elect Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are collaborating on the green.

And DeSantis notes the dream team with Trump scored a victory over three opponents during a golf match this week.

“Well, we were on the same team so it was two of us versus three other players and the President and I won the match, which was good because I didn’t want to be a drag on that,” DeSantis said on The Dana Show.

“You know, I played with him a bunch over the years and a lot of times he’ll have a touring pro will be his partner and then I’m sitting there with like, you know, some random. We’re just getting killed.”

DeSantis called the course at Trump international “a really top flight golf course,” adding that it’s “not the easiest course because like these are big time holes to be able to do.”

The ultimate hole in one, however, was Trump’s endorsement of DeSantis’ Special Session call, one that seemed to throw off the calculus of certain legislators that harrumphed at the Governor’s anti-illegal immigration play earlier this week.

“I think we were on the eighth fairway or something and he was working through, but his view is he wants assistance,” DeSantis said, referring to states working to accomplish goals regarding undocumented immigrants.

During a press conference before the radio hit on Wednesday, the Governor outlined specific proposals that will be presented later this month, including mandating “that law enforcement at both the municipal county and state level … have maximum participation in any programs to assist the federal government with the enforce enforcement of federal immigration laws,” moving to “enact criminal penalties for illegal entry under state law,” and appointing a state immigration officer “dedicated to overseeing coordination” between federal and state resources.

DeSantis also wants local officials “empowered” to deport “people here illegally,” along with “better gang enforcement” and a broader definition that encompasses “these groups of illegal aliens … criminal rings of people taking advantage of very weak Biden administration policy.”

Reform of voter rolls is also necessary to further discourage illegal immigration with a declaration of U.S citizenship upon registration, DeSantis said, as is increasing penalties for false information and ending “in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants.”

The Governor also wants to crack down on remittances to home countries by imposing ID verification in what he calls an “E-Verify for remittances,” which he sees as a “huge deterrent” to these transfers of money.

Finally, he wants a Texas-style “rebuttable presumption” that assumes detained illegal immigrants will flee and “are flight risks,” denying them bail when they are brought up on charges.”