Former President Donald Trump has criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis multiple times during DeSantis’s response to Hurricane Idalia. Trump has targeted DeSantis on social media, posting claims, videos, or online poll numbers that show Trump leading DeSantis in the Republican Party presidential primary. He accused DeSantis of approving a 20% increase in Florida’s electricity rates, a claim that was refuted by the governor’s office.
During the hurricane response, DeSantis’s political operation largely went quiet as he focused on managing the crisis. Trump continued to post about his own popularity in Florida and suggested that DeSantis might drop out of the presidential race to run for the Senate against Rick Scott, a claim that DeSantis’s team labeled as “fake news.”
In response to Trump’s criticism, DeSantis’s communications director emphasized the governor’s strong fundraising performance and dismissed a super PAC that had previously supported DeSantis but was reported to be closing.
The rift between Trump and DeSantis comes as both politicians are seen as potential contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.