Donald Trump denied having the Meatball Ron nickname for DeSantis

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Donald Trump is refusing to own up to the latest unsavory nickname for the man shaping up to be his biggest rival in the Republican party.

After The New York Times reported that Mr Trump called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Meatball Ron, the former president released a statement on his Truth Social platform denying the story.

The former president, who does not appear to have called Mr DeSantis a derogatory name in public, reportedly took aim at him behind closed doors in an apparent dig at the governors appearance.

Mr Trump denied this, apparently unwilling to portray himself as full of concern for the man who is likely to be his main rival in the 2024 primary, should the governor choose to run.

All the Fake News reports are that I am spending a large amount of my time coming up with a good nickname for Ron DeSanctimonious, which will obviously give him a shot at the presidency. They are all 100% wrong, I dont even think about it A very unimportant subject to me!!! wrote the former president

For a long time, Mr Trump’s strategy for attacking his political rivals was to resort to childish and offensive name-calling.

Since the November midterms in which many of Mr Trump’s endorsed candidates fared poorly while Mr DeSantis emerged as a GOP favorite for the 2024 White House race, the Florida governor has borne the brunt of his outburst. .

More recently, Mr Trump tried to brand him Ron DeSanctimonious with a nickname that may not have gone off the way Mr Trump would have liked.

Last week, the former president further fueled a suggestion that Mr DeSantis groomed teenage girls and drank with his students when he was a high school teacher.

Mr DeSantis, who largely avoids engaging in criticism of former presidents, responded by saying he was too busy delivering results and battling Joe Biden to let it go to his one-time ally.

In a series of posts on Truth Social, Mr Trump promoted a photo posted by another man who resembled Mr DeSantis standing with a group of young women, one of whom appeared to have holding beer bottle.

Here’s Ron DeSanctimonious grooming high school girls with alcohol as a teacher, a caption on the users’ post read, using Mr Trump’s derogatory nickname for the Florida governor.

Mr Trump re-shared the photo several times.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with then US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in happier times in April 2020

(Getty Images)

I spend my time delivering results for the people of Florida and fighting Joe Biden. That’s how I spend my time, Mr DeSantis said at a press conference on Wednesday.

I don’t spend my time trying to discredit other Republicans.

Florida’s leader added that he faced destructive things every day that I was governor but had a thick skin.

While Mr Trump has confirmed his intention to run for president for a third term, Mr DeSantis has yet to announce his bid.

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