Trump and Ron DeSantis put aside rivalry at 'Alligator Alcatraz': 'You'll always be my friend'

There was no evidence of the onetime rivalry between Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis as they came together for the opening of the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigrant detention center.
There was no evidence of the onetime rivalry between President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday as they came together in a common cause: opening an immigrant detention center in the swampy heart of Florida.
Trump and his top deputies visited the Everglades, where Florida officials delivered a win for his anti-immigration agenda and positioned the state at the forefront of his crackdown.
The facility, which Republican leaders dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” is set to house 3,000 detainees and took just eight days to construct.
“It might be as good as the real Alcatraz,” Trump told reporters Tuesday. “It’s a little controversial, but I couldn’t care less.”
The push behind “Alligator Alcatraz” is not only to keep Florida aligned with Trump on immigration but also to reposition some of the state’s biggest Republican players politically. DeSantis, for instance, fought vocally with Trump during the 2024 presidential primaries; during the visit Tuesday, however, he and Trump praised each other.
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