Donald Trump is seizing the role of Florida kingmaker.

The former president is increasingly wading into politics in his adopted home state, rewarding allies — and needling Gov. Ron DeSantis — after locking up the 2024 nomination thanks, in part, to endorsements from Florida Republicans.

Now, Trump is returning the favor to those who supported him. In the past couple of weeks he ventured into already-brewing 2026 contests in the state and rewarded congressional allies with his coveted seal of approval — all as he tries to mold Florida politics in his image.

“I think it’s him putting his stamp on Florida and rewarding loyalty,” said a Florida-based Republican close to the former president, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly.

The endorsements come amid a still boiling public feud between Trump and DeSantis, his vanquished rival. DeSantis endorsed Trump right after he dropped out of the presidential race, but has since given unsolicited (and, from the perspective of those close to the president, unwanted) advice for how to run his campaign, prompting one of Trump’s top lieutenants to call him a “sad little man” on X. Trump is also still crowing about his victory on the stump.

DeSantis said last week in Miami Beach that he didn’t expect to campaign with Trump in Florida because the state isn’t competitive — and the Trump campaign fired back that he wasn’t wanted, anyway.

The laundry list of recent Trump endorsements includes Reps. Gus “very effective lawmaker” Bilirakis and Bill “fantastic” Posey. Both endorsed Trump early in his presidential campaign — Bilirakis backed the former president before DeSantis got in the race — and now have at least nominal Republican challengers.

Earlier in the month Trump also endorsed state Rep. Randy Fine, the only Jewish Republican in the Florida Legislature, who vocally flipped his endorsement from DeSantis to Trump and criticized the governor’s record fighting antisemitism in the process.

Trump’s plans in Florida also stretch far beyond this election — and into a potential second term. Trump revealed that “rockstar” state Sen. Joe Gruters was interested in running for Florida chief financial officer — a spot that won’t be available until 2026, when current CFO Jimmy Patronis is term limited.

(Patronis is also eyeing the 2026 gubernatorial race to succeed DeSantis, and Trump praised him recently as doing a “terrific job.”)

Gruters “was on the ‘Trump Train’ before it even left the station,” Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social.

But Trump’s posts weren’t all warm and fuzzy: One encouraged a challenger to run against Rep. Laurel Lee, who was the only member of the Florida delegation to endorse DeSantis. A pro-Trump social media influencer is now considering a run against Lee, as is a former state lawmaker she beat in the 2022 primary.

Lee’s campaign declined to comment. She was DeSantis’ top election official and switched her endorsement to Trump after DeSantis dropped out.

The latest Trump posts came amid endorsements in other states, ramblings about MSNBC, the criminal cases against him and polls showing him leading in swing states, but they certainly got the attention of Florida political watchers.

Bilirakis told POLITICO in a statement that he was “honored” to get Trump’s endorsement and noted that he “enthusiastically” supported the former president ever since his 2016 run. Gruters told POLITICO he’d asked Trump for his endorsement and was “very grateful for the strong support and encouragement.”

A Trump social media endorsement helped rocket DeSantis’ political career back in 2018. But the two men spent much of the presidential primary fighting for dominance, especially in Florida — where DeSantis won in 2022 by 19 points without seeking Trump’s endorsement, bringing other Republicans to victory with him.

Trump’s latest posts show the power struggle is likely to continue, though his endorsements may be diminished if he loses in November. DeSantis hasn’t talked about shaping Florida’s future after the 2.5 years he has left in office, but has expressed interest in campaigning alongside local and state candidates here.

Brian Hughes, a longtime Florida operative and a senior adviser for the Trump campaign, said the former president’s endorsements were “sought after” because “Florida is Trump Country” and supported his policies.

“The men and women who receive the endorsement of President Trump are America First officials who represent the MAGA movement to make our nation and communities across Florida safe and more prosperous for working families,” he said.