Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump spent years at war with each other.
The Florida Governor became Trump's biggest rival during the 2024 Republican Primary.
But Ron DeSantis just made one move that has Donald Trump grinning from ear to ear.
Florida Goes All-In on Trump's Make America Healthy Again Agenda
Florida just rolled out its "Healthy Florida First" initiative in January.
The state program tests food products for contaminants and follows Trump's Department of Health and Human Services "Make America Healthy Again" blueprint.
DeSantis said the initiative promotes "innovation, ensures accountability, and empowers Floridians to make the healthiest choices for their families."
First Lady Casey DeSantis and Surgeon General Joe Ladapo announced that Florida expanded the program by testing other products marketed for children.
"Through these transparency efforts and our long-standing commitment to medical freedom, Florida is doing our part to help Make America Healthy Again," DeSantis added.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2015831461794820189?s=20
Trump's relationship with DeSantis collapsed when the Florida Governor challenged him in 2024.
Trump said DeSantis "desperately needs a personality transplant" after the Governor entered the race.
DeSantis fired back that Trump's attacks were "juvenile" and that he believed they "had been a contributing factor" to his 2020 loss.
That all changed in 2025 when Trump and DeSantis buried the hatchet during a trip to open the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Everglades.
Trump rated their relationship "a 10" or "maybe 9.9" and said DeSantis is his friend and "you'll always be my friend."
DeSantis jumped in to remind everyone he "endorsed him immediately in January 2024" and "raised one of his PACs millions and millions of dollars."
Casey DeSantis and Ladapo Push Medical Freedom Over Vaccine Mandates
Casey DeSantis spoke Friday about vaccine discrimination parents face across Florida.
The First Lady said parents deserve "accurate, complete information about the benefits, the risks, implications, the data, or the lack thereof when it comes to vaccines" and lamented families getting kicked out of pediatricians' offices because their kids weren't vaccinated.
Ladapo discussed his evolution from "a trained establishment doctor" to someone willing to question the vaccine orthodoxy.
https://twitter.com/CaseyDeSantis/status/2017244285364789639?s=20
He said people want "more information" not "more coercion" and "complete information" about what they put in their bodies.
Ladapo blasted the American Academy of Pediatrics for encouraging doctors to discriminate against unvaccinated families.
Mary Beth Tyson described vaccinating her 18-month-old son and noticing something wasn't right days later.
Her child experienced the "Terrible Twos" that included outbursts and seizures.
More vaccines brought more problems according to Tyson.
She had to find a pediatrician out of town who she pays out of pocket because doctors in her area refused to see her family.
Twelve years later her son is still healing from those early life vaccines Tyson said.
DeSantis announced Florida would eliminate all vaccine mandates in September 2025.
The Governor created a Florida Make America Healthy Again Commission co-chaired by Casey DeSantis and Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2015889141565636918?s=20
Florida would become the first state to scrap all childhood vaccine requirements if the Legislature approves the plan.
Ladapo compared vaccine mandates to "slavery" and called them "immoral."
"Who am I as a man standing here to tell you what you should put in your body?" Ladapo asked.
The administration wants to end requirements for measles, chickenpox, hepatitis B, polio, and other vaccines for children attending schools and daycare.
DeSantis's term expires in 2027 and his final push on medical freedom shows the two former rivals found common ground.
Trump's getting what he wanted all along from DeSantis: full-throated support for his agenda without the rivalry getting in the way.
That's got to put a smile on Trump's face after years of bitter attacks between the two men.
Sources:
- Diana Stancy, "DeSantis signals reset with Trump as Florida backs 'Make America Healthy Again' plan," Fox News, January 31, 2026.
- A.G. Gancarski, "Casey DeSantis, Joe Ladapo talk vaccines, medical freedom," Florida Politics, January 30, 2026.
- Christine Sexton, "DeSantis administration pushes to eliminate all vaccine mandates in Florida," Florida Phoenix, September 8, 2025.
- Judd Legum, "Donald Trump says relationship with Ron DeSantis now a '10'," Florida Politics, July 1, 2025.
