In a surprising turn of events on Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis openly criticized former Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, attributing his downfall to the habit of name-calling.
Expressing his personal opinion, the 44-year-old DeSantis voiced his disappointment during an interview with New Hampshire radio host Jack Heath. This took place as part of DeSantis’ campaign tour of early voting states.
“The way he conducts himself, resorting to name-calling, is incredibly petty and embarrassingly immature,” Governor DeSantis remarked, drawing attention to the conduct that he believes contributed to Trump’s absence from the White House. “I choose to stay away from such behavior.”
DeSantis further emphasized the “significant differences” between himself and Trump. Notably, he highlighted Trump’s support of Andrew Cuomo, the Governor of New York, regarding their respective handling of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Referring to Trump, the Republican presidential candidate pointed out, “He claims that Andrew Cuomo managed the COVID situation better in New York compared to my leadership in Florida. Yet, tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people fled Cuomo’s lockdowns to seek refuge in Florida.”
“He also attacked me for opposing an immigration amnesty bill,” DeSantis continued. “The reason behind my opposition was my commitment to upholding America First principles.”
In response, the 76-year-old Trump took to his Truth Social account to mock DeSantis, suggesting that the Florida governor is attempting to change the pronunciation of his name.
“Have you heard that ‘Rob’ DeSanctimonious wants to legally change his name once again?” Trump tweeted on Wednesday night. “He wants everyone to call him DeeeSantis, not DaSantis.”
“He’s worked up about people mispronouncing his name, even the media. But really, DeSanctimonious, there’s no need to worry,” Trump added, implying that the name change wouldn’t make a substantial difference.
Trump’s insults towards DeSantis did not come as a surprise, given their history. In 2018, Trump endorsed DeSantis during his gubernatorial campaign, but their relationship turned sour over time. Trump referred to DeSantis as a “Trump knockoff” and shared critical remarks from Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) accusing DeSantis of ingratitude.
Furthermore, Trump ridiculed DeSantis’ weight by reposting a tweet from his supporter Roger Stone that made fun of former New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s physique. This action fueled speculation about Christie’s potential presidential run, joining the likes of Trump, DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott, Larry Elder, and Asa Hutchinson.
As the campaign season progresses, former Vice President Mike Pence and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum are expected to announce their candidacies next week. The decision of New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu on seeking reelection in 2024 remains uncertain.
Based on the RealClearPolitics average of polls, Trump currently holds approximately 53% of the Republican primary vote, with DeSantis trailing at around 22%.