FORT MYERS, Fla. — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis presented former President Donald Trump with a custom gold challenge coin bearing a provocative message during a rally here on Friday. The coin featured an image of Trump smiling and making an obscene gesture, alongside the engraved phrase: “You missed bitches.”
The gift referred to two assassination attempts on Trump’s life last year. In July 2024, a gunman fired at Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the former president’s ear. Another attempt was reportedly foiled in September 2024 when Secret Service agents discovered a sniper waiting near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump was playing golf.
DeSantis, who is term-limited as Florida’s governor, greeted Trump on the Fort Myers airport tarmac shortly after Air Force One landed, personally handing over the coin. DeSantis told reporters the coin was made by a friend, and he felt compelled to give it to Trump.
The two prominent Republicans have had a complex and at times contentious relationship, shifting from allies to rivals during the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Since Trump’s return to the political stage, DeSantis has taken steps that some see as overtures toward reconciliation, including renaming the West Palm Beach airport in Trump’s honor and approving a contentious migrant detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” under Trump-era policies. DeSantis also pushed through aggressive redistricting plans ahead of the midterm elections.
At the rally, Trump appeared energized by the coin and the crowd’s enthusiasm. He emphasized the vibrancy of Republican voters heading into the midterms, stating that the GOP displayed “far more energy” than Democrats with 11 days remaining before the elections.
Trump focused much of his criticism on Democratic candidates. He targeted Angie Nixon, a Senate candidate opposing incumbent Republican Ashley Moody, labeling Nixon a “card-carrying member of the Democrat Socialists of America.” Trump accused the DSA platform of advocating for radical policies such as abolishing the U.S. Senate and Supreme Court, providing free healthcare to undocumented immigrants, defunding the police, closing prisons, and releasing violent criminals.
“Why can’t I have a candidate like that to run against?” Trump quipped.
The former president also criticized Democratic candidate David Jolly, who is challenging Republican Representative Byron Donalds in Florida’s gubernatorial race. Trump described Jolly as a former Republican who was expelled from the party, calling him disloyal and accusing him of changing his political positions.
The rally underscored ongoing tensions within Florida’s Republican Party ahead of the pivotal midterm elections, with DeSantis and Trump navigating a complicated relationship amid their shared and competing ambitions.