Former President Trump took aim at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) at a campaign rally Saturday night, coining the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious” for the politician seen as Trump’s biggest challenger for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Trump called out his potential political rival at a rally in Latrobe, Pa., on Saturday while continuing to tease his 2024 pick.
“This is the year we will bring back the House. We will bring back the Senate. And we will take America back. We’re going to bring it back,” Trump said. “And in 2024, most importantly, we will get our glorious, oh-so-beautiful White House back.”
“Everyone, I promise you, that in the next, very, very, very short period of time, you will be so happy,” he added at another point in the rally.
Axios registered on Friday that Trump’s team is considering launching his presidential bid on Nov. 14, less than a week after voters go to the polls in the midterm elections.
However, Trump has all but confirmed his imminent announcement, suggesting he will make the announcement if he does not fall to Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz and Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastrian.
“One of the reasons I don’t want to do it right now — because I’d like to do it — but you know what, and I really mean this, I want to focus tonight on Dr. Oz and on Doug Mastriano.”
Most polls show Trump leading DeSantis in a potential race for the Republican nomination. However, the Florida governor remains the biggest threat to the former president, while other potential candidates, such as former Vice President Mike Pence and Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), appear next.
As Trump heads to Miami for a rally with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Sunday, the former president will keep his distance from DeSantis, who was notably not invited to the rally. Politico registered.
DeSantis will instead attend three of his own rallies on Sunday, part of a 13-city scramble announced after Trump’s rally was scheduled, according to Politico.
Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday competed with a large gathering of Democrats as both President Biden and former President Obama descended on the state to support Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman and gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro. The Pennsylvania Senate race, currently locked in a dead heat, is one of several close races that could determine control of the upper house of Congress.
Updated at 10:58 p.m.
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