Florida Gov. Criticizes Trump For Working With Fauci In New Interview, Piers Morgan Says

Topline

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) criticized former President Donald Trump for not firing federal health official Anthony Fauci and mocked Trump’s nicknames for him in an interview this week with Piers Morgan, according to a preview penned by Morgan in the New York Post—firing back at the former president and possible 2024 rival after months of attacks.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) jabbed former President Donald Trump in an interview with Piers … [+] Morgan, previewed Tuesday by the New York Post.

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Key Facts

DeSantis, who had previously remained quiet as Trump publicly attacked him, criticized the former president for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and his decision to keep Fauci on the White House Coronavirus Task Force—DeSantis has been one of Fauci’s biggest critics.

When asked about differences between the two GOP leaders, DeSantis reportedly said, “the approach to Covid was different” and that he would have fired Fauci because “he got way too big for his britches” and “did a lot of damage” (Trump openly mulled firing Fauci in his last months in office, but ultimately kept the longtime infectious disease expert on staff).

The governor’s criticism of Trump appeared less direct at other points: He said “the way we run the Government I think is no daily drama,” which Morgan cast as a contrast between his leadership style and Trump.

DeSantis also mocked the “DeSanctimonious” nickname Trump has used for him, saying, “I don’t know how to spell the sanctimonious one,” adding, “call me whatever you want, just as long as you also call me a winner because that’s what we’ve been able to do in Florida.”

DeSantis downplayed Trump’s barrage of criticisms as “background noise,” saying, “It’s not important for me to be fighting with people on social media,” according to Morgan.

Tangent

DeSantis imposed strict travel rules in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, and he encouraged Floridians to take the coronavirus vaccines in the first few months after they became available, but he has pivoted to a hardline position since then, opposing mask mandates and calling for an “investigation” into vaccine development. Florida has recorded 403 coronavirus deaths per 100,000 residents since the start of the pandemic, above the nationwide rate of 337, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics.

What To Watch For

DeSantis told Morgan to “stay tuned” about his decision to run for president, Morgan said. DeSantis hasn’t announced a 2024 run, but it’s widely believed he will launch a campaign in the coming months, after breaking fundraising records in his gubernatorial run last year and visiting Iowa this month.

Contra

DeSantis appeared to ridicule Trump earlier this week when he joined other Republicans in attacking Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who may criminally charge Trump over a scheme to pay hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels. The governor accused Bragg of carrying out a “political agenda,” but mocked the alleged payments, telling reporters in Florida: “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair.”

Chief Critic

Trump lashed out against the Florida governor for his comments on the Stormy Daniels payments in a scathing Truth Social post Monday, arguing he could face allegations from a “woman, even classmates that are ‘underage’ (or possibly a man!)”—comments some critics have cast as homophobic. Trump’s comments were his latest in a slew of insults against DeSantis, including nicknaming him “Ron DeSanctemoneous” and reportedly calling him “Meatball Ron” in private (a nickname Trump denied using). Trump has also used Truth Social in recent months to post a series of links to polls indicating Republican voters favor Trump in a hypothetical 2024 match-up (other polls have indicated otherwise).

Key Background

DeSantis had been considered a protege of Trump’s during the early years of his presidency. The governor praised Trump in a campaign ad that showed him teaching children to “build the wall,” and reading from Trump’s book, “The Art of the Deal.” Their relationship soured amid growing speculation DeSantis is planning a 2024 presidential run, which would put him head-to-head with Trump in the GOP primaries. Trump has repeatedly attacked DeSantis on Truth Social, including a post earlier this month attacking DeSantis for his prior position on cutting Social Security and Medicare. Earlier this month, DeSantis and Trump appeared at competing GOP events: the American Conservative Union’s CPAC, where Trump spoke, and the Club for Growth, a fiscally-conservative organization that snubbed Trump and featured DeSantis. Last week, the MAGA Inc. super PAC—run by Trump allies—prepared an ethics complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics, accusing DeSantis of running a shadow campaign through a “personally lucrative book tour” that comes “at the expense of Florida taxpayers.”