DeSantis, Scott to attend fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago

Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott will join hundreds of Republicans Saturday night at Mar-a-Lago for the Palm Beach County GOP’s annual Lincoln Day fundraising dinner.

The location at Donald Trump’s Palm Beach estate shows that the former president remains an influential force in Florida politics.

Although Trump lost nationally, he improved his margin of victory in Florida in 2020. That’s producing optimism among Republicans that DeSantis will cruise to victory in next year’s governor’s election.

“We are in good shape,” said Michael Barnett, chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party. “We are feeling confident and energized.”

Trump is not scheduled to speak, but Barnett is hoping he will stop by. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will serve as the keynote speaker, and about 500 people are expected to attend the dinner, which is closed to the press.

Pompeo, DeSantis and Scott are seen as possible GOP presidential contenders in 2024 if Trump does not declare his candidacy. Pompeo has been pouring money into a new political group, fueling speculation he is eyeing a run, Axios reported.

Other guests include Republican U.S. Reps. Brian Mast and Byron Donalds, along with Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis.

Although he is listed as a special guest, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio will not be attending because of a “personal matter,” Barnett said. Rubio has also been mentioned as a possible GOP contender in 2024.

Last weekend, Mar-aLago hosted a portion of the Republican National Committee’s spring retreat with other meetings held at the nearby Four Seasons resort in Palm Beach.

During his speech, Trump lashed out at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, calling the top Republican a “dumb son of a bitch” and repeating false claims that he had won the election, the Washington Post reported.