Former President Donald Trump didn’t hold back when asked about the possibility of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis running for the White House in 2024.
Trump, who is the only Republican to announce a campaign, said it would be a “huge act of disloyalty” if the governor challenged him.
On Saturday, Trump held campaign events in New Hampshire and South Carolina, after which he gave an interview to The Associated Press.
The outlet noted that there are a growing number of potential challengers, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
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Trump specifically commented on DeSantis, taking credit for his 2018 Florida victory by endorsing him.
“If he runs away, that’s fine. I’m way up in the polls,” Trump said. “He’ll have to do what he wants, but he might run. I think it would be a great act of disloyalty because, you know, I dragged him in. He didn’t stand a chance. His political life is over.”
Trump also told the paper that he had not spoken to DeSantis in a long time.
DeSantis has not announced an intention to run in 2024 at this time, but there has been a surge in support from Republicans who don’t want to see another Trump run.
Trump beat DeSantis by 17 points in a Morning Consult poll released earlier this month. In a poll this week, President Trump was leading DeSantis, his closest challenger, by 35 points.