Trump criticized DeSantis but rejected the nickname Ron the Meatball

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Former President Donald Trump announced Saturday morning that he will not call Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) “Meatball Ron” following reports that he used the insulting nickname in private.

“I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious ‘Meatball’ Ron, because Fake News insists I do,” he told the conservative social media site Truth Social.

“Meatball Ron,” as The New York Times reported Trump described the governor in casual conversations, appeared to be a dig at DeSantis’ appearance and Italian heritage.

Dropping the nickname hasn’t stopped the former president from criticizing DeSantis’ tenure as governor, however, as a potential presidential primary battle looms on the horizon.

Trump also used “Shutdown Ron” to describe DeSantis, referring to his response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Times.

“His beaches and States have been closed for a long time, his test, test, test for the China Virus didn’t work very well, and his honesty skills are really poor,” Trump said in his post on Saturday.

DeSantis is seen as Trump’s leading challenger for the GOP presidential nomination. While DeSantis has yet to announce whether he will officially enter the race, polls generally show him and Trump in close competition.

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Trump has lobbied several attacks on the Florida governor in recent months. Earlier this month, the former president promoted a post on social media saying DeSantis was “grooming high school girls with alcohol” as a teacher when he was in his 20s. That follows reports he partied with former students at a private school in Georgia 20 years ago.

DeSantis derided Trump’s posts as a smear.

Trump announced his campaign for a second term in November, and commonly refers to DeSantis as “Ron DeSanctimonious.” Trump famously uses derogatory nicknames for his political opponents.

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