Former President Donald Trump gave Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a new nickname while reading various polls on who will lead the 2024 GOP presidential primary.
Speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Mr. Trump referred to Mr. DeSantis as “Ron DeSanctimnios” while noting that he was the runner-up to him in one of the presidential races.
Mr Trump also blamed his former vice president, Mike Pence, who was mentioned in a poll shown at his rally.
“Mike’s doing better than I thought,” commented Mr. Trump, who received 7% approval rating, compared to his own 71% approval rating.
Mr. DeSantis trailed Mr. Trump in this particular poll by 10%.
The new dig against Mr. DeSantis, who has long had a close relationship with Mr. Trump, comes amid speculation that the former president is expected to announce his 2024 bid in the coming weeks.
Mr. DeSantis has also often been mentioned as a potential challenger and rival to Mr. Trump in 2024.
Others who could potentially run for the White House include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
