Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hit back at former United States President Donald Trump's criticisms, touting that he got reelected as governor while the Republican businessman failed to win a successive term.
On Saturday, the former president took his latest jab at the Florida lawmaker, claiming that the governor who he previously nicknamed "Ron DeSanctimonious," was misguided in his COVID-19 policies. Trump noted that there were many Republican governors that did not choose to close their states in contrast to Florida which closed for a long time.
DeSantis vs. Trump
During the former president's campaign events in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Trump also claimed that DeSantis owes his political success to the Republican businessman's administration, adding that a potential presidential run by the Florida governor would be considered insulting.
Trump said that without him, DeSantis would not have become the governor of Florida, adding that the thoughts of the latter running as president showed him being disloyal. On the other hand, the Florida governor, speaking at a press conference, fired back at the former president when asked about the continuous criticisms he has received, as per Fox News.
One reporter cited that the former president has repeatedly criticized DeSantis in the past few days on several issues, one of which was about the COVID-19 situation in Florida. In response, the governor reiterated the fact that he won with the highest percentage of the vote than any Republican gubernatorial candidate in the state's history.
Trump has, until recently, been seen as the clear and overwhelming front-runner in the early 2024 GOP presidential nomination polls. But a handful of national surveys that were released last month showed that the former president trailed the Florida governor, who has raised his standing in the last three years among conservatives.
In November, DeSantis overwhelmingly won reelection for a second term to lead the state of Florida. The governor cited the fact that he won by the largest raw vote margin of more than 1.5 million votes compared to any other candidate.
Infighting Among Republicans
On top of his criticisms of DeSantis, Trump also opened up a new and largely unexpected line of attack on the Florida governor. He accused his ascendant rival of attempting to "rewrite" his management of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the New York Post.
However, observers have questioned the former president's tack, arguing that the Florida governor's less stringent coronavirus policies helped him build up support. DeSantis, along with Florida Surgeon General. Joseph Ladopo made a point to offer people skeptical of the vaccine a wider platform in the last few months.
In December, the Republican lawmaker hosted a roundtable discussion of vaccine-related concerns and emphasized that the state never considered vaccine mandates for employees working in the region.
DeSantis' comments on Tuesday suggest that he is now more willing to engage and defend against continuous attacks from Trump. The Florida governor is seen as one of the biggest challenges that the former president has to overcome if he wishes to secure the GOP nomination for the 2024 presidential elections, said Politico.
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