Former President Donald Trump bestowed another nickname on rival Ron DeSantis Saturday — mocking the Florida governor as a “wounded falling bird” at a GOP event on their home turf.
Trump, 77, claimed responsibility for launching DeSantis, 45, into popularity during his 2018 campaign for the head of state role, claiming the Navy sailor begged for his backing.
“I endorsed him and he became a rocket ship in 24 hours. … Now he’s like a wounded falling bird from the sky,” the 45th commander in chief taunted in a speech at the Florida Republican Party’s Freedom Summit.
Standing beneath graphics that read “Florida is Trump Country,” Trump reiterated his long-held belief that DeSantis is disloyal for daring to run against him for the nation’s highest office.
As an example of DeSantis’ just punishment, Trump pointed to polling results suggesting he is demolishing DeSantis, 45, in the 2024 race.
The Sunshine State governor has consistently polled poorly since announcing his candidacy, with a recent survey indicating he is trailing Trump by 27 percentage points and is tied for second place with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Trump has repeatedly targeted DeSantis — who was once thought to be Trump’s strongest opponent for the Republican bid — and issued him several degrading nicknames, such as “Ron DeSanctimonious” and “DeSaster.”
“We’re going to win the Florida primary for the third straight time, and we’re going to win the state by a landslide next November,” Trump told a boisterous crowd.
He also flaunted that he was able to convince several Florida lawmakers to switch their endorsements from DeSantis in the days before the summit.
DeSantis, who spoke earlier in the day, made subtle jabs at the former president but never uttered his name.
He accused Republicans of having “blown winnable elections” over the last three cycles and argued the GOP brand is “toxic” outside Florida, a direct dig at Trump’s poor track record leading the party in recent elections.
He mostly stuck to his standard argument, however, that his results in Tallahassee prove his conservative mettle.
“Florida has shown the way forward for the Republican Party,” DeSantis told the crowd, drawing applause for a litany of conservative policy victories in the state.
“No state has done more to beat the left at the institutional level than we have in the state of Florida.”
Off stage, he downplayed Trump’s latest show of Florida support.
“This happens in these things,” he told reporters, flanked by top legislative leaders, Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez and several sheriffs.
“We’ve had flips the other way in other states. It’s a dynamic thing. Politicians do what they’re going to do.”
With Post wires
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