Donald Trump is said to have branded Ron DeSantis a 'dull' charisma free-zone as rumors swirl the former president is angry the popular Florida governor hasn't said that he won't challenge Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
Sources close to the former president who have recently talked to him about DeSantis said Trump has grown increasingly irked by DeSantis in recent months, with Trump beginning to voice his frustrations to those in his inner circle.
'In the context of the 2024 election, he usually gives DeSantis a pop in the nose in the middle of that type of conversation,' said a source who recently spoke to Trump about DeSantis.
'He says DeSantis has no personal charisma and has a dull personality,' the source told Axios.
Trump and DeSantis are pictured at a Florida rally in November 2019. The former president is now said to be bashing the popular Florida governor behind his back, with speculation mounting that the two men could face-off for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination
The two are among the most popular Republican figures in the country, and with Trump eyeing another presidential run in 2024, many political pundits believe he is irritated by DeSantis' interest in running against him and his growing popularity.
Trump is said to be further annoyed that DeSantis hasn't come out to say he wouldn't run against the former president if he did opt to launch another White House bid.
Trump hasn't actually announced his own bid, and isn't expected to do so until early next year.
Those close to the former president say they expect him to launch a second White House run - but also admit Trump may choose to act as a 'kingmaker' for the next presidential candidate instead.
The source, who was not named or identified, said they have heard Trump regularly criticize DeSantis on more than one occasion.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addresses a joint session of a legislative session, January 11, 2022, in Tallahassee, Florida
The root of Trump's ire towards DeSantis appears to stem from the face that the Florida governor 'won't say he won't run [in 2024]. ... The others have stated pretty clearly they won't challenge him,' the source went on to say.
'Trump has been telling a range of aides a version of, he isn't getting the deference from DeSantis that he wants in the pre-2024 leadup.'
DeSantis, for his part, has told friends he believes Trump's expectation that he bend the knee is asking too much, The New York Times reported.
The Florida governor is up for re-election this year. And Trump claims he made the politician. The former president backed then Congressman DeSantis in the Republican primary during the 2018 gubenatorial election. DeSantis won the general election by heavily tying himself to Trump, including running TV ads where DeSantis taught his children how to 'build the wall' and say 'Make America Great Again.'
'Look, I helped Ron DeSantis at a level that nobody's ever seen before,' Trump told The New York Times' Jeremy Peters for his forthcoming book, 'Insurgency,' on the rightward shift of the Republican Party.
Trump said he believed DeSantis 'didn't have a chance' of winning without his help.
Meanwhile, in a recent interview, Trump tore into politicians - DeSantis included - who will not say whether they have had their COVID vaccine or booster, deeming them 'gutless.'
'I've taken it, I've had the booster,' Trump said.
'Many politicians - I've watched a couple of politicians be interviewed and one of the questions was 'did you get the booster,' he continued. 'The answer is yes but they don't want to say it, because they're gutless. You gotta say it, whether you've had it or not, say it.'
DeSantis (R) sits next to Trump and Kristi Noem during a meeting with Governors elects in the Cabinet Room at the White House on December 13, 2018 in Washington, DC
Trump (R) listens as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks ahead of the signing an executive order on lowering drug prices at the White House, in Washington, DC on July 24, 2020
'The vaccine has saved tens of millions of people throughout the world. I have had absolutely no side effects,' he said in an interview with OAN that aired Tuesday night.
Still, the former president said he does not think young people should get the jab.
'I don't think young, healthy people should take it. I think that, certainly these young kids their immune system is so strong,' he continued, before telling how his 15-year-old son Barron had Covid-19 for 'like two seconds.'
Trump had also said he was so confident of being the GOP nominee he has said that if he runs again for president, most other Republicans would 'drop out.'
In October, Trump bragged that if he were to run against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose popularity has has soared during the pandemic, for the 2024 GOP nomination, he would easily 'beat him'.
Former President Donald Trump listens to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speak about the coronavirus response during a meeting at the White House in Washington, April 28, 2020
Former President Donald Trump introduces Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during a homecoming campaign rally at the BB&T Center on November 26, 2019 in Sunrise, Florida
'If I faced him, I'd beat him like I would beat everyone else,' he said at the time.
'I don't think I will face him,' Trump said during the interview. 'I think most people would drop out, I think he would drop out.'
Trump made the prediction during an interview with Yahoo Finance.
The former president, who lost the 2020 general election, still remains popular and has a lot of influence among Republican voters and GOP politicians as he toys with the idea of a third run at the presidency.
'It's getting to a point where we really have no choice' Trump said last month about him running.
On September 11th he gave an even clearer indication that he was considering running once again.
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