Former President Trump has made developing nicknames for his GOP rival and potential presidential opponent Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) a priority as his team works on his 2024 campaign, according to a new Bloomberg report.
Trump has floated “Ron DisHonest,” “Ron DeEstablishment,” and “Tiny D” as monikers for the Florida governor, but appears to favor “Ron DeSanctimonious,” according to Bloomberg.
The former president coined “DeSanctimonious” days ahead of the midterm elections and shortly before launching his own presidential bid in November.
Though Trump has been leading the Florida governor in a number of recent polls, DeSantis has repeatedly popped up as Trump’s top competitor in a hypothetical GOP primary match-up.
In his address to the annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, Trump said “people are tired of RINOs,” or Republicans in name only, a label he’s also attached to DeSantis.
Bloomberg reports that Trump’s team has been working on opposition research against DeSantis for weeks, although the Florida governor has not officially announced he’ll enter the 2024 ring with the former president, who is also a resident of the Sunshine State.