Taylor Swift didn't show up at Pebble Beach to watch Travis Kelce swing a club.
But something far more important happened on a different course that same weekend.
And Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis hit the links together in West Palm Beach with two legendary college football coaches by their side.
The Golf Game That Has Democrats Nervous
Trump teed off Sunday with DeSantis, Saban, and Meyer at his West Palm Beach course.
The same weekend Kelce got cut from Pebble Beach's amateur field, Trump was building the kind of alliance Democrats fear most.
Remember when Trump called DeSantis "DeSanctimonious" during the bitter 2024 primary?
That's ancient history now.
Trump praised DeSantis in July, saying they share "blood that seems to match pretty well."
While Democrats obsessed over whether Swift would appear for her fiancé – she and Kelce got engaged last August and plan to marry June 13 – Trump was cementing Republican unity for the battles ahead.
DeSantis brought Florida's full-throated support for Trump's "Make America Healthy Again" initiative.
Florida launched its "Healthy Florida First" program in January, testing food products for contaminants and focusing on items marketed to children.
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DeSantis told Fox News the program "promotes innovation, ensures accountability, and empowers Floridians to make the healthiest choices for their families."
Why Saban And Meyer Matter
Saban won seven national championships at Alabama.
Meyer won three between Florida and Ohio State.
But that's not why Trump wanted them on the course Sunday.
They're Trump's secret weapons for fixing the disaster that college sports has become.
Trump offered Saban the co-chair position on a presidential commission to address Name, Image, and Likeness chaos destroying college athletics.
Both coaches have warned that NIL is turning college football into a pay-to-play circus.
Saban repeatedly said NIL concentrates players on short-term cash grabs instead of long-term development.
Meyer called the system "wild stuff" and questioned how to get players to class when they're getting massive deals before playing a single snap.
The Sunday golf game wasn't recreation.
Trump signed an executive order in July protecting student athletes from bidding wars while still allowing them to earn money from deals.
Saban and Meyer provide the expertise Trump needs to restore sanity to college sports.
The Reconciliation Democrats Fear Most
This golf outing represents everything Democrats hoped wouldn't happen.
Back in April 2024, DeSantis asked for a private sit-down.
He wanted to bury the hatchet.
By May, Trump was calling into a DeSantis fundraiser telling the room, "Ron, I love that you're back."
But Sunday's public display takes it to another level.
DeSantis told The Mark Levin Show that Democrats "will do whatever they can – including, probably, try to fabricate another impeachment – to be able to throw sand in the gears to prevent the president from being able to discharge the duties to which he was elected."
He's actively defending Trump against the left's inevitable sabotage attempts.
Florida has positioned itself as the model for Trump's America First agenda.
DeSantis pushed a swing state decisively to the right through two successful terms.
Now he's using that blueprint to help Trump transform the entire country.
Fox News analysts are already speculating about DeSantis joining the Trump administration after his governorship ends next year.
The unity message is clear: Republicans are marching in lockstep while Democrats fracture over their 2028 primary.
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What This Means For 2028
DeSantis can't run for Florida governor again.
He's term-limited out next year, which opens up the question everyone's asking: what's next?
Early polls show Vice President JD Vance with a commanding lead for the 2028 Republican nomination.
But DeSantis remains the most viable GOP option outside the current administration.
Sunday's golf game signals he's playing the long game smart – stay close to Trump, support the America First agenda, and remain positioned for whatever comes next.
Trump knows what he's got in DeSantis – a governor who delivered results, fought the woke left, and proved conservative policies work.
Democrats wanted Trump isolated, fighting with Republican governors, and struggling to implement his agenda.
Instead, they're watching Trump build the most formidable Republican coalition in decades.
Saban and Meyer give Trump credibility with millions of college football fans who worship these coaches.
DeSantis gives Trump a proven conservative warrior with an unmatched track record.
Together, they're the nucleus of a movement Democrats can't stop.
While the media obsessed over Taylor Swift not showing up for Kelce at Pebble Beach, Trump was building something far more powerful: real unity, real expertise, and a real plan to make America great again.
Sources:
- Associated Press, "Travis Kelce, Ron DeSantis leave Pebble Beach to the pros as Taylor Swift dashes hopes," February 14, 2026.
- Fox News, "President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis restart relationship," February 16, 2026.
- On3, "Nick Saban, Urban Meyer play round of golf with President Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis on Sunday," February 15, 2026.
- CBS News, "Trump and DeSantis, once GOP rivals, meet in South Florida to talk about 2024 election," April 29, 2024.
- Washington Post, "Trump and DeSantis meet privately in Florida," April 28, 2024.
- The Hill, "DeSantis opens door to Trump truce as he weighs political future," May 1, 2024.
