Gov. Ron DeSantis Cancels Appearance At Trump Rally: Report

SARASOTA, FL — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has canceled his planned appearance at former President Donald Trump’s Fourth of July weekend rally in Sarasota, Politico reported.

Trump’s Save America rally is scheduled to take place at the Sarasota Fairgrounds Saturday. Doors open at 2 p.m. with the rally starting at 8 p.m. and fireworks at 9 p.m.

Though Politico didn’t report a reason for DeSantis’ cancellation, the governor, a longtime Trump ally, has been focused on search-and-rescue efforts at the site of a partially collapsed condo tower in South Florida.

First responders are working around the clock, searching through rubble and debris, at the site of the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside, which tragically collapsed in the early hours of June 24.

As of Wednesday evening, there were 16 confirmed dead and 147 people still missing.

DeSantis has been at the site for news conferences, and to meet with officials and those affected by the collapse daily since the collapse occurred.

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A conservative news website said that DeSantis asked Trump to cancel his rally because of the tragedy in Surfside. The Washington Examiner, siting an anonymous source, said that the governor’s team “made a direct plea” to Trump asking him to cancel the event.

The governor's office said DeSantis never asked the former president to cancel the rally, Business Insider reported.

"Governor DeSantis is focusing on his duties as Governor and the tragedy in Surfside, and has never suggested or requested that events planned in different parts of Florida — from the Stanley Cup finals to President Trump's rally — should be canceled," his office said in a statement.

Helen Aguirre Ferré, the former communications director for DeSantis and the current executive director of the Republican Party of Florida, was also quick to quash the idea that there is any tension between the governor and the former president. She tweeted that the Washington Examiner’s story is “completely false.”

She tweeted, “We are working together in support of the July 3rd rally that celebrates the founding of our great nation.”

Sarasota police warned city residents to avoid the area of the Sarasota County Fairgrounds and Robarts Arena Saturday as they’ll be assisting the United States Secret Service with an event at the venue.

“Residents and visitors…should anticipate significant traffic delays, congestion and periodic road closures in and around the area of the Sarasota Fairgrounds throughout the morning, afternoon and evening of Saturday,” police tweeted.

Ringling Boulevard will be closed from South Tuttle Avenue to South Pompano Avenue from 6 a.m. until the rally is over that night.