Ron DeSantis (left) and Donald Trump.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat said Donald Trump could seek revenge on Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis is “flourishing” by acting like the former president, Ben-Ghiat said on an episode of Mary Trump’s podcast.
However, Trump might try to stunt DeSantis’ growing popularity by running for president again, Ben-Ghiat said.
Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat believes former President Donald Trump will try to “take revenge” on Gov. Ron DeSantis — and his niece Mary Trump agrees.
On a Thursday episode of the Mary Trump Show, Ben-Ghiat discussed how the Republican party and DeSantis himself have come to embrace the former president’s false stolen election rhetoric and use it to boost their political careers.
“They are all living high off the big lie,” Ben-Ghiat said. “In fact, there’s now a plethora of mini-Trumps.”
However, Ben-Ghiat says DeSantis’ success being a “mini-Trump” could eventually backfire because Trump may decide he’s a political threat.
“But [DeSantis is] flourishing and Trump’s in limbo, which increases the odds that he has to run for office because he’s got to get back in and shut everything down and take revenge. I have zero doubt that this is how strongmen are.”
Mary Trump replied: “Yes, I was going to ask you that. So I’m glad you went there!”
Though neither Trump nor DeSantis has confirmed a 2024 presidential run, they are generally considered the two top Republican candidates for president.
Multiple straw polls show DeSantis becoming increasingly popular with Republicans and leading the way against Trump. DeSantis also has a multimillion-dollar fundraising lead on the former president.
Trump has noticed the competition: Last month, a Washington Post report found Trump encouraged his donors to avoid supporting DeSantis financially. Trump has also tracked DeSantis’ appearances and poll numbers, the report said.
Trump accused DeSantis of being “ungrateful” after he helped the Florida governor with an endorsement in 2018 during his run for state office, per the Post report.
Behind closed doors, Trump reportedly called DeSantis “fat,” “phony,” and “whiny,” sources told New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman for her upcoming book.
Representatives for DeSantis and Trump did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.