Trump takes aim at popular rival DeSantis

Donald Trump has attacked former ally Ron DeSantis as ‘dull’ and ‘gutless’ as the two compete to be chosen as Republican candidate for 2024.

Former US president Donald Trump has been sniping at the Florida governor privately when the 2024 race is mentioned, according to reports. Picture: AFP

Donald Trump has attacked former ally Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as “dull” and “gutless” as the two compete to be chosen as Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election.

Endorsed by Mr Trump for the Florida governor’s post in 2017, Mr DeSantis has emerged as his strongest opponent. To the fury of the former president, Mr DeSantis has gone on the attack, criticising Mr Trump’s handling of the pandemic.

The pair are the most popular Republicans, widely touted as a dream ticket should they run ­together in 2024. Mr Trump, 75, has been irked, however, by the popularity of Mr DeSantis, 43, among his Make America Great Again base.

Expecting a coronation as the Republican nominee, Mr Trump has been irritated that the Governor has refused to rule out running against him.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis. Picture: AFP

Over recent days, Mr Trump has launched attacks on Mr DeSantis to put him in his place. In private, he continues to snipe at the Governor whenever the 2024 race is mentioned.

“He says DeSantis has no personal charisma and has a dull personality,” a source told the Axios website.

Last week, Mr Trump ­denounced “gutless” politicians who declined to say whether they had had booster jabs. Mr DeSantis had sidestepped such a question last month.

The pandemic and Mr Trump’s handling of it have emerged as a weakness. In the year since he left the White House, the war over vaccines and masks has been whipped up by the right against President Joe Biden as his administration struggles to contain the virus.

That has left Mr Trump out of step with the extreme right of the party, to which he gave a voice from 2016, and undermined his effort to claim credit for the vaccination program.

He has previously feigned unconcern about the prospect of a showdown with Mr DeSantis. “If I faced him, I’d beat him like I would beat everyone else,” Mr Trump said in October.

His attacks have increased in ferocity as DeSantis has risen in the polls.

Driving even harder to the right, Mr DeSantis has blocked the unpopular mandates on vaccines and wearing masks at work and in schools imposed by Mr Biden.

Covid-19 infections have surged in Florida but his stand has boosted his popularity among Republicans.

The Times