Former President Donald Trump is likening Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to one of his rivals and failed Republican presidential nominee Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah).
Days after the Florida governor visited Iowa, Trump was in the state for a campaign event and took a swipe at his potential primary rival.
“You have to remember, Ron was a disciple of Paul Ryan, who is a RINO loser who currently is destroying Fox and would constantly vote against entitlements,” the former president said Monday.
He went on, “Remember that? The wheelchair over the cliff. The Democrats used it. The wheelchair over the cliff commercial. Very effective. That was about him. But Paul Ryan’s a big reason that Mitt Romney – I’m not a big fan of Mitt Romney – lost his election.”
“And to be honest with you, Ron reminds me a lot of Mitt Romney. So, I don’t think you’re gonna be doing so well here. But we’re gonna find out. But those are the facts,” Trump added.
Watch the video below:
TRUMP: "Ron [DeSantis] was a disciple of Paul Ryan, who is a RINO loser who currently is destroying Fox. […] To be honest with you, Ron reminds me a lot of Mitt Romney…" pic.twitter.com/N2FQtDeiiq
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 14, 2023
While DeSantis has not officially said whether he will run for the Republican presidential nomination, there is speculation he will.
And polls appear to show he could be Trump’s most formidable opponent.
He has reportedly privately shared he plans to run for president after Florida’s legislative session ends in May.
In light of the prospect of a DeSantis campaign, Trump has reportedly been workshopping different nicknames for the governor.
He has reportedly considered “Ron DisHonest,” “Ron DeEstablishment,” or “Tiny D.”
Another nickname he has used is “Ron DeSanctus.” He explained to The Daily Caller that “DeSanctus” is a term used “when you do something for somebody, and they don’t reciprocate.”
However, Trump appears to have settled on “Ron DeSanctimonious.”
The former president also suggested he would not use the nickname “Meatball Ron” because it is “too crude.”
“I don’t use that name. It’s used by other people. I don’t like that name,” he told The Daily Caller.
Trump added, “I’m a very non-crude individual.”