city Pensacola, state Florida: Latest News

FILE-Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis speaks as President Donald Trump looks on at a campaign rally at the Pensacola International Airport on November 3, 2018 in Pensacola, Florida. (Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images) MIAMI - It wasn't always this way.Before Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis were leading rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, they were allies.Trump gave DeSantis' gubernatorial bid an early boost by tweeting his support even before DeSantis formally entered the race.

In his 2018 victory speech, DeSantis made sure to thank the president, saying, "I think we'll have a great partnership."RELATED: It's official: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is running for presidentHere's how DeSantis and Trump’s relationship has evolved — and broken down — as the two face off to take on Democrat Joe Biden:During the 2016 presidential campaign, then-congressman DeSantis said he wouldn't make an endorsement in the crowded field but would support the eventual nominee.When that ended up being Trump, DeSantis issued a statement calling on fellow Republicans to back the celebrity businessman."It is now clear that Donald Trump will accumulate the delegates necessary to be nominated by the Republican Party," DeSantis said in a statement, according to NPR.RELATED: Donald Trump vs. Ron DeSantis: Rivals' very different styles on display"If we want to defeat Hillary Clinton and have a chance to change the trajectory of our country, we need to unite behind the Republican ticket this November."Early in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia, then-congressman DeSantis stepped up to the president's defense to offer his support.RELATED: Florida

Donald Trump Ron Desantis Joe Biden Hillary Clinton Robert Mueller