- Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis have not spoken for months, according to The Washington Post.
- Trump supported DeSantis during the 2018 gubernatorial campaign but did not run for him this year.
- Privately, Trump has now slammed DeSantis as “ungrateful,” telling advisers: “I created him,” WaPo reported.
That’s despite former President Donald Trump’s strong support for Florida’s governor. In 2018, Ron DeSantis became estranged amid rumors that they would soon launch a competitive campaign for the 2024 presidential election.
Sources familiar with their interactions told The Washington Post that although Trump has said he would be a good vice president if DeSantis changed his vote in 2024, the two have already had several Moon did not speak.
Trump is now privately attacking the man he once called a “good friend,” calling the Florida governor “ungrateful,” according to the Washington Post.
“I made him,” Trump told his aides as he monitored DeSantis’ public appearances and polls, The Washington Post reported.
While neither party has officially announced a 2024 presidential race, the two politicians are widely seen as front-runners in the upcoming race, which Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell predicts will be A “crowded” primary.
“I don’t understand what’s going on here,” Trump said of the dwindling support for DeSantis, The Washington Post reported. “I don’t understand why he doesn’t appreciate me more.”
Trump has made similar remarks before, criticizing DeSantis for his “rigid personality.”
In response, DeSantis has taken steps to differentiate himself from the former president on the campaign trail, although he has not explicitly criticized Trump. His recent decision to send asylum seekers to Martha’s Vineyard has rattled the former president, prompting political analysts to believe DeSantis is turning the spotlight on Trump, according to a Rolling Stone report. moved away and intensified their competition.
The strategy appears to be working: DeSantis has given the former president $43 million this year, according to data collected by OpenSecrets. The polls also suggest the governor has an edge over the former president in a hypothetical 2024 primary matchup.
Representatives for Trump and DeSantis did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment.