Apr 28, 2023 - Business

Trump's top Colorado donor hosts DeSantis in Israel

John Frank

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sits between Miriam Adelson and Larry Mizel at a dinner in Jerusalem. Photo obtained by Axios. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sits between Miriam Adelson and Larry Mizel, left, at a dinner in Jerusalem. Photo obtained by Axios.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is courting former President Trump's top Colorado supporter.

Driving the news: Larry Mizel, a 2016 Trump campaign finance chair, sat next to DeSantis at a dinner in Jerusalem on Wednesday, according to two sources who attended the dinner.

Miriam Adelson sat on the other side of DeSantis during the two hour dinner, Axios' Barak Ravid and Sophia Cai first reported Friday.

Why it matters: DeSantis is considered Trump's top rival for the GOP nomination and plans to announce his presidential exploratory committee in the coming weeks.

Details: DeSantis landed in Israel on Wednesday as part of a four-leg trip that could help the likely presidential candidate boost his foreign policy credentials.

He met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog before attending a dinner at the Museum of Tolerance, where he was the guest of honor, according to sources in the room.
The dinner was hosted by Mizel, a Denver-based home builder who founded the museum.

The intrigue: Mizel, who has a policy of not talking to the media, did not respond to Axios' request for comment about the dinner.

He also has declined to comment through a spokesperson about who he's supporting in the 2024 presidential election.

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Trump's top Colorado donor hosts DeSantis in Israel

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