Former President Donald Trump has blasted Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a bizarre late-night tirade. Posting on his own social media platform, the 45th POTUS claimed the Florida governor was a “globalist” in favour of cutting social security.
Posting on Truth Social, Mr Trump said: “‘Support for DeSantis cools in latest GOP POLL.’ Washington Times. Of course it cools. He wants to cut Social Security and Medicare, loves ‘Throw them over the cliff’ Paul Ryan, who is destroying FoxNews and the WSJ, Piglet Karl Rove, and ‘Jeb.’
“Also, Ron DeSanctimonious is for Globalist Club For NO Growth, and Open Borders Charles Koch. We want AMERICA FIRST, NOT AMERICA LAST!!!”
The ex-president launched his latest shots at Mr DeSantis after the Washington Post reported on Saturday that the Florida governor had mocked Trump in private during his first White House bid.
According to recordings passed to the Post, DeSantis joked that if Trump had created the world, “He’d have done it in half the time at half the cost, and he would have had Satan pay for it”.
Trump and DeSantis have previously put on friendly faces in public, praising eachother’s records in office and appearing together on the campaign trail.
But the mood between the two has soured as DeSantis is rumoured to challenge Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
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DeSantis will then head to Fort Washington on the outskirts of Philadelphia before moving on to Elmhurst in Illinois.
Several polls have forecast a close race between Trump and DeSantis in the 2024 Republican primaries. A poll from Quinnipiac University found the former president had a six-point lead over DeSantis among Republican voters.
But another new poll from Rasmussen Reports found DeSantis trailling Trump by a massive 13 points in the primary race.
DeSantis has not yet confirmed or denied plans to run in the 2024 Republican primary, but it’s widely expected that he will enter the race.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley became the latest candidate to throw her hat in the ring last week. But she’s only polling in single digits, and appears unlikely to become a serious contender.
