While Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is reported "inching closer" to declaring a 2024 presidential campaign as soon as May, former President Donald Trump is continuing to needle his potential GOP primary opponent.
"Who is that in the blue tie being so nice to the President of the United States while in the Oval Office?" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday night, posting a photo of DeSantis during the Trump presidency.
DeSantis has been answering questions about a '24 campaign and Trump criticisms in recent weeks, but doing so without mentioning Trump by name.
Meanwhile, Trump has called DeSantis "very disloyal" for not stepping back from 2024 talk or even supporting his former endorser, repeating a pejorative nickname: "Ron DeSanctimonious."
The latter was stated just days before the 2022 midterm elections, calling out a DeSantis gubernatorial campaign ad that suggested he was delivered to Floridians during the COVID-19 pandemic by the "hand of God," which Trump viewed as a sanctimonious claim.
Despite the media's kicking up a firestorm of a burgeoning GOP rivalry, Trump called on his Save America rally supporters in Florida to vote for DeSantis, adding he was endorsing the popular Florida governor's 2022 reelection campaign.
Trump has repeatedly taken credit for DeSantis' rise from relative House unknown to narrowly win the Florida gubernatorial race in 2018, delivering prominent endorsements for House and governor.
"I was very responsible for him getting elected, as you know, but I have a very good relationship with him," Trump told Newsmax's "Eric Bolling The Balance" last June.
"I don't know that he wants to run," Trump told Bolling at the time. "Now, I have a good relationship with Ron. I don't know that he wants to run.
"We'll see what happens."
Reports this week indicate DeSantis has chosen to run, but is going to hold off making an official announcement until at least May, if not August, sources told The Hill.
Notably, the battle for finite GOP campaign dollars appears to have the prominent Koch brothers loading up on opposing Trump, perhaps even backing DeSantis.
Also, the Club for Growth, a pro-DeSantis group, has snubbed Trump on attending a donor retreat.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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