Trump Presidential Library site proposed by DeSantis in Miami

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking steps to bring a future Donald Trump presidential library to downtown Miami.

The Republican governor said on Tuesday he will ask a state board that oversees land management to vote on a proposal to convey a 2.6-acre parcel for the library. The site is currently a parking lot for a local community college.

“President Trump has achieved results for the American people and made a lasting impact on our nation’s history,” DeSantis said in a statement, adding that Florida would be “honored to house his presidential library here in his home state.”

The White House didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

Florida’s Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund will vote on the proposal on Sept. 30. The four members, including DeSantis, are all Republicans and staunch Trump supporters.

The facility would be Florida’s first presidential library. Trump moved from his home state of New York to Florida in 2019, and his permanent residence at Mar-a-Lago is located in Palm Beach, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of Miami.

Trump registered a nonprofit corporation for his library fund late last year. So far, most of the known funding for the project is coming from tens of millions in settlements from lawsuits he filed against ABC News, Paramount Global’s CBS News and Meta Platforms Inc.

The friendly gesture from the governor comes after a years-long feud with the president, culminating in DeSantis’ unsuccessful challenge to Trump in the 2024 GOP primary. Since DeSantis dropped out, he’s tried to get back in Trump’s good graces and has been one of the most ardent stewards of implementing the president’s immigration agenda at the state level.