Donald Trump has made it clear that he will not refer to Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, as “Meatball Ron” – a moniker that has been reported to be a jab at the Republican’s Italian heritage.[0]
Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social late Saturday to announce that he would never refer to DeSantis as “Meatball”, adding that it would be “totally inappropriate” to do so.[1] He also leveled various attacks on DeSantis, calling him a “RINO who is trying to hide his past.”
Trump’s post came after reports revealed that he had been using the nicknames for DeSantis like “Ron DeSanctimonious” and “Meatball” during private conversations.[2]
In a further attempt to take aim at DeSantis, Trump criticized the New York Post for publishing an extensive profile of the Florida governor.[3] He claimed it was a “puff piece” and that the paper had failed to mention DeSantis’ plans to cut Social Security & Medicare, and his love of “losers like Jeb Bush, Paul Ryan, and Karl Rove.”
Trump also took a swipe at Fox News, accusing them of “covering the small and unenthusiastic 139-person crowd in Staten Island for DeSantis” but avoiding “the thousands of people, many unable to get in, at the Club 47 event in West Palm Beach, Florida.”[4]
In a recent post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Florida was doing “GREAT long before Ron DeSanctus got there” and that people were fleeing New York to the state because of “high TAXES and out of control CRIME,” and not because of DeSantis.[5] He also called Fox News the “RINO (Republican In Name Only) Network” and suggested that CNN should go “conservative and ‘All Trump, All the Time’,” like in 2016.[6]
The current tension between Trump and DeSantis has been building for months and is expected to continue as DeSantis is rumoured to challenge Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Trump has reportedly been warning DeSantis to “chill out” about the prospect of a GOP civil war between them.[7]
0. “Trump claims he will never call Ron DeSantis ‘Meatball Ron’” The Guardian US, 19 Feb. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/19/donald-trump-ron-desantis-meatball-ron-colbert
1. “Trump: I won’t call DeSantis ‘Meatball Ron'” POLITICO, 18 Feb. 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/18/trump-desantis-meatball-ron-00083560
2. “Donald Trump hits on offensive nickname for Ron DeSantis and Twitter is eating it up” msnNOW, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-hits-on-offensive-nickname-for-ron-desantis-and-twitter-is-eating-it-up/ar-AA17IZIK?li=BBnb7Kz
3. “Trump Slams DeSantis ‘Puff Piece’ in New York Post” Newsmax, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/trump-desantis-new-york-post/2023/02/20/id/1109363
4. “Trump says Florida was ‘GREAT’ before DeSantis ‘got there’” Creative Loafing Tampa, 23 Feb. 2023, https://www.cltampa.com/news/trump-says-florida-was-great-before-desantis-got-there-15173669
5. “Trump’s Praise for DeSantis’ Democratic Opponent Rankles MAGA World” msnNOW, 21 Feb. 2023, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trumps-praise-for-desantis-democratic-opponent-rankles-maga-world/ar-AA17LZky
6. “Trump calls for CNN to ‘go conservative’ in an attack on ‘RINO network’ Fox News” The Independent, 21 Feb. 2023, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-desantis-fox-news-cnn-b2286798.html
7. “Trump undermines claim not to care about DeSantis by posting nonstop” Business Insider, 20 Feb. 2023, https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-truth-social-insults-ron-desantis-rino-globalist-2023-2
