Topline
Former President Donald Trump attacked Ron DeSantis Wednesday, calling him “disloyal,” hours before the Florida governor is set to officially announce his bid for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election.
File Photo: Former President Donald Trump stepped up his attacks on Ron DeSantis after the Florida … [+]
Key Facts
Referring to the Florida governor as “Rob DeSanctimonious” Trump reiterated his earlier attacks on his GOP rival and claimed sole credit for DeSantis’ successful 2018 gubernatorial campaign.
The remarks about DeSantis, made on his Truth Social platform, are Trump’s first since the Florida governor’s aides confirmed he would launch his presidential bid on Wednesday.
The former president claimed DeSantis was running a “terrible campaign” in 2018 and was only able to overcome a 31-point deficit against his rival in the GOP primary due to Trump’s support.
Trump followed up his attack on DeSantis with a post praising his own White House stint, claiming he “BUILT THE GREATEST ECONOMY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD…AND THE USA WAS RESPECTED ALL OVER THE WORLD!”
Trump’s Truth Social timeline makes multiple references to DeSantis in the past 24 hours, including links to articles about DeSantis’s poor chances in the primary and even an op-ed from the right-wing outlet Gateway Pundit calling for the Florida Governor to “stand down.”
Key Background
DeSantis is set to officially announce his 2024 presidential bid in a Twitter Spaces conversation with the platform’s owner Elon Musk on Wednesday, his team confirmed to Forbes. The launch is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET, followed by DeSantis appearing on Fox News at 8 p.m. for an interview with anchor Trey Gowdy. Despite flagging poll numbers, DeSantis is viewed as the most credible threat to Trump’s chances of winning the GOP nomination for the 2024 election. Seemingly aware of this, Trump has repeatedly lashed out at DeSantis over the past few months, even telling Fox News’ Sean Hannity at one point that the Florida governor would be working at “a pizza parlor place” without his support in 2018.
What To Watch For
While Trump has not pulled any punches in attacking his chief rival, DeSantis has so far avoided calling the former president out publicly as he attempts to court Trump’s right-wing base. It is unclear if he will use his air time on Twitter Spaces and Fox News later on Wednesday to hit back.
Further Reading
DeSantis Launching Presidential Run Wednesday In Event With Elon Musk (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/05/24/trump-hits-out-at-disloyal-desantis-again-as-florida-gov-prepares-to-launch-2024-bid/