8 nasty remarks Trump made about Ron DeSantis before Florida Governor’s endorsement

Mixing political strategy and personal jabs: 8 instances of the Trump-DeSantis nickname saga

As the Ron and Don political showdown reached its Sunday afternoon finale on January 21, the scene was anything but triumphant for the Florida governor. Ron DeSantis pulled the plug on his presidential aspirations and, with a hint of reluctance, threw his support behind his former rival Donald Trump. In a video message, DeSantis acknowledged past "disagreements" but ultimately bit the bullet, declaring Trump a "superior" choice over President Joe Biden. The concession marked a stark shift from DeSantis's earlier trash-talking days when he privately dismissed Trump as a "moron." However, in the public arena, DeSantis more or less chose a more subtle approach, refraining from direct attacks and keeping his swipes "blunted and bloodless." Despite his efforts, Trump fired back with relentless broadsides, labeling DeSantis as "overrated, disloyal, and a know-nothing" both in public and private. DeSantis, on the other hand, dismissed Trump's insults as "juvenile" and "phony," all while trying to ride the high road. With DeSantis's endorsement, it appears the dust has settled. Yet, the scars of their verbal sparring linger. Amidst this political drama, we can't forget the nicknames Trump bestowed upon DeSantis, once hailed as the heir apparent to the MAGA cause.

1. Ron DeSanctimonious

The saga of "Ron DeSanctimonious" unfolds like a political rollercoaster. Trump's favored moniker for DeSantis took center stage, and DeSantis, ever the wit, attempted a comeback by joking that he couldn't even spell the vowel-heavy name. But Trump, being Trump, officially retired it at a New Hampshire rally after the Florida governor dropped out of the race and endorsed him. And yes, we got a bunch of other nicknames like "DeSaster" and "DeSoros" in the mix.

2. Pudding Fingers

MAGA got all creative with an ad targeting DeSantis for his alleged pudding-eating habits – with his fingers, no less. This incident, initially reported by The Daily Beast, not only raised eyebrows but also became a strategic tool to criticize DeSantis' political record. It didn't stop at pudding; it tied his fingers to policy decisions. The spot, funded by the Make America Great Again Inc. PAC, even left viewers with a memorable plea: "Tell Ron DeSantis to keep his pudding fingers off our money. Oh, and somebody get this man a spoon."

3. Meatball Ron

Here's a quirky one – "Meatball Ron." Trump never said it publicly, but The New York Times reported Trump workshopping this jab in casual conversation alongside "Shutdown Ron." Despite the potential for a comedic goldmine, Trump refuted the nickname on Truth Social, deeming it "totally inappropriate" and beneath his poetic talents. But hey, we got Stephen Colbert crooning a "Meatball Ron" serenade – "Very scared of CRT, loves to roll around in spaghetti, with extra cheese." Classic.

4. Tiny D

On Trump Force One, Trump purportedly mused about "Tiny D" being a good moniker for DeSantis. Rolling Stone even said his advisers pushed for it as the main nickname. Small-dick PsyOp, anyone? Mixing political strategy and personal jabs can get a bit messy.

5. Rob

Here's a cheeky one – "Rob." Born from a typo in a Daily Mail headline, Trump's team says it was intentional. "ICYMI: Steve Bannon calls Rob DeSantis a 'weasel'," read a March press release. Trump stuck with "Rob" in Truth Social statements, proving typos can rather spice up political drama.

6. 'Politically Dead' Crybaby

Trump spun a drama tale of political resurrection, claiming he singlehandedly pulled DeSantis from the political grave and propelled him to the governor's office. According to Trump, DeSantis approached him in 2017 in desperate shape – politically dead and on the verge of a landslide defeat. The former president offered vivid details, including low approval ratings and bad polls. Tears were involved, apparently. DeSantis crying? That's a twist in the political soap opera

7. Very Disloyal!

Cue the loyalty drama. Trump accused DeSantis of being "very disloyal" for challenging the political juggernaut. As mentioned, the former president insisted he was the reason DeSantis reached the governor's office, framing the act of running against him as a great act of disloyalty. Cue the dramatic music.

8. A Mitt Romney Clone

Trump went all mystical during a speech in Davenport, Iowa, comparing DeSantis to Mitt Romney and predicting DeSantis' fate. “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,” he said, before addressing DeSantis directly, “So, I don't think you’re going to be doing so well here. But we’re going to find out.” Spoiler: Trump wins in Iowa, with DeSantis finishing a distant second.