Finance

Donald Trump Refutes Claim He Calls DeSantis ‘Meatball Ron’

02/19/2023
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Topline

Former President Donald Trump denied ever calling Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) “Meatball Ron” in a social media post Saturday, refuting claims and reports that Trump had insulted DeSantis’ appearance by calling him various nicknames in private conversations, though he continued to criticize the Florida governor and potential 2024 opponent.

Key Facts

“I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious “Meatball” Ron,” Trump said on his social media network Truth Social early Saturday, adding it would be “totally inappropriate” to do so.

Despite refuting claims outlined by a New York Times report that suggested he called DeSantis “Meatball Ron” and “Shutdown Ron” in private, Trump criticized DeSantis for his relationships with Paul Ryan and Jeb Bush and his decision to shut down public areas during the pandemic.

DeSantis has previously responded to Trump’s criticism, suggesting he does not “spend his time trying to smear other Republicans,” according to Politico—though DeSantis suggested Trump “go check out the scoreboard” after being reelected as governor in November.

A Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday indicated Trump (42%) was favored over DeSantis (36%) as the frontrunner for the Republican Party’s presidential nominee.

What We Don’t Know

DeSantis has yet to announce his intent to run for president in 2024, though a group of Michigan state GOP lawmakers hand-delivered a letter to him urging him to run in January.

Key Background

Trump has regularly used nicknames for his political opponents, though the former president has lobbied a number of attacks against DeSantis in recent months after polls indicated the pair were in close competition for the Republican nomination. Trump previously claimed DeSantis was “grooming high school girls with alcohol” after the New York Times reported DeSantis had partied with students while working as a teacher at a private school in Georgia. DeSantis did not directly respond to the accusation, though he noted he does not work to “smear” other Republicans. By denying claims he called DeSantis “Meatball Ron”—appearing to be an insult to DeSantis’ appearance—Trump labeled Ryan a “Fox News killing lightweight” and Bush as “Low Energy.”

Further Reading

Michigan Republicans Tell Gov. DeSantis To Run In 2024—It’s The Latest Sign Trump Is Losing Battleground States (Forbes)

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/02/18/donald-trump-refutes-claim-he-calls-desantis-meatball-ron/