Former President Donald Trump this week said that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis "could hurt himself badly" if he runs for president in 2024.
"I don't know if he is running. I think if he runs, he could hurt himself very badly. I really believe he could hurt himself badly," Trump said in an interview on Monday night. "I think he would be making a mistake. I think the base would not like it. I don't think it would be good for the party."
He added: "Any of that stuff is not good. You have other people that possibly will run, I guess. I don't know if he runs. If he runs, he runs."
Although Trump recently mocked the governor as "Ron DeSanctimonious" during an appearance at a Pennsylvania rally, he said on Monday that there is no "tiff" between them.
DeSantis is widely seen as a potential rival to the former president for the GOP nomination in 2024.
Trump later said on Tuesday that DeSantis "could have been more gracious," after winning his seat in 2018, adding, that he "always had a decent relationship with him, but when I endorsed him, he was gone."
Trump continued: "He was not going to be able to even be a factor in the race, and as soon as I endorsed him, within moments the race was over. I got him the nomination. He didn't get it, I got it. Because the minute I made that endorsement, he got it."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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