In this November 3, 2018 file photo, then-President Donald Trump stands behind Ron DeSantis during a rally in Pensacola, Florida, during his first gubernatorial run.
Butch Dill, File/AP Photo
Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis haven’t spoken in months, The Washington Post reported.
Trump endorsed DeSantis during his 2018 gubernatorial campaign but hasn’t campaigned for him this year.
Privately, Trump now slams DeSantis as “ungrateful,” telling advisers: “I made him,” WaPo reported.
Though former President Donald Trump vigorously campaigned in support of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2018, the one-time allies have grown distant amid rumors they will soon launch competing campaigns for the 2024 presidential election.
Sources familiar with the pair’s interactions told The Washington Post the two haven’t spoken in months, despite Trump once saying DeSantis would make a good Vice President if he changed up his ticket in 2024.
Privately, Trump now lambasts the man he once referred to as his “great friend,” calling the Florida governor “ungrateful” for his earlier endorsement, The Washington Post reported.
“I made him,” The Washington Post reported Trump told his aides while monitoring DeSantis’ public appearances and polling numbers.
Though neither has officially announced a 2024 presidential run, the two politicians are widely regarded as expected frontrunners in the upcoming race, which Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell predicted would feature a “crowded” primary.
“I don’t understand what happened here,” The Washington Post reported Trump said of DeSantis’ diminishing support. “I don’t understand why he doesn’t appreciate me more.”
Trump has made similar comments before, criticizing DeSantis for his “dull personality.”
In response, DeSantis has taken steps to distinguish himself from the former president on the campaign trail, though he hasn’t explicitly criticized Trump. His recent decision to fly asylum seekers to Martha’s Vineyard sent the former president into a rage, according to a report from Rolling Stone, spurring political analysts to argue that DeSantis was taking the spotlight off of Trump and furthering their rivalry.
The strategy appears to be working: DeSantis has out-fundraised the former president this year to the tune of $43 million, according to data collected by OpenSecrets. Polling also suggests the governor has an advantage over the former president in a hypothetical primary match-up in 2024.
Representatives for Trump and DeSantis did not immediately respond to Insider’s requests for comment.