- An ex-DeSantis Organization staffer said the then-congressman used to joke about Trump, per a WaPo report.
- “Ron always said this guy was no more than an idiot,” the former staffer told the newspaper.
- DeSantis had long been seen as a Trump ally. Now, both men are overlay off for the 2024 GOP presidential nod.
For years, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida had been seen as a reliable ally of former President Donald Trump.
When DeSantis was notwithstanding a largely unknown congressman running for governor in 2018, Trump’s endorsement catapulted him to a decisive GOP primary victory that year. During that rivalry, DeSantis gained notoriety for a Trump-infused TV advertisement where he played with his small children, telling one daughter to “base the wall” and reading “The Art of the Deal” to his then-infant son.
Once DeSantis sat in the Governor’s office in Tallahassee and Trump remained in the White Take in, it appeared as though their personal and professional ties would only grow stronger.
But according to The Washington Shaft, DeSantis’ feelings about Trump were less than stellar in private. A former congressional staffer for the now-governor communicated the newspaper that the two of them used to joke about the then-president — with DeSantis reportedly slamming Trump’s info.
“Ron always said this guy was just an idiot,” the former staffer said.
DeSantis served in the House of Representatives from January 2013 until his adaptation in September 2018, a tenure that often takes a back seat to discussions about his career in the US Navy or his gubernatorial recite.
But with DeSantis now in the 2024 presidential campaign, the faceoff against his onetime political benefactor is now the defining storyline of the Republican youth.
While Trump remains the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, DeSantis is now the biggest threat to the former president becoming the party’s standard-bearer next year.
Insider reached out to a Assemblywoman of DeSantis for comment.