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By Andrew Stanton
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Conservatives lashed out against former President Donald Trump for mocking Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with a new nickname.
Trump, during a rally for Pennsylvania GOP candidates on Saturday night, took a jab at DeSantis, a popular politician among conservatives, calling him "Ron DeSanctimonious" while boasting about his strong 2024 poll numbers.
Trump has repeatedly teased another presidential bid, and DeSantis has been named as one of the alternative conservative candidates who could challenge Trump for the Republican nomination. The early dig at DeSantis comes just days after the former president said he is "very, very, very" likely to run for president again in 2024.
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"We're winning big, big, big in the Republican Party for the nomination like nobody's ever seen before," Trump said. "There it is—Trump at 71. Ron DeSanctimonious at 10 percent. Mike Pence at seven. Mike's doing better than I thought."
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Ahead of the 2024 race, the relationship between Trump and DeSantis, both conservative leaders, has grown strained as speculation mounts they could face off against each other. Still, Trump's latest remarks may be the most public acknowledgment of potential animosity between the two.
Conservatives, who may be faced to choose between them in the primaries, criticized Trump for the nickname following the rally.
"DeSantis is an extremely effective conservative governor who has had real policy wins and real cultural wins. Trump isn't going to be able to take this one down with a dumb nickname. He better have more than that up his sleeve," tweeted conservative commentator Matt Walsh.
Town Hall columnist Kurt Schlichter tweeted: "It wasn't funny. If he had sat down and planned exactly how to remind everybody about their concerns about him this was the way to do it. He has a long list of great achievements and all we get is him making stupid nicknames about a successful rival 4 days before an election."
*"*Or... Ron De...SaidNoToFauci... that's another angle... #StandUpForAmerica," tweeted Representative Chip Roy, a Texas Republican.
"Yes - he's undisciplined and narcissistic, which leads him to do horribly counterproductive things This is why a lot of serious MAGA types (myself included) prefer DeSantis," attorney Will Chamberlain tweeted. In a follow-up tweet, he added that Trump should "just endorse DeSantis" rather than risk "fracturing the party."
Trump vs. DeSantis: What Polls Say About 2024 GOP Primary
Neither man has formally announced a 2024 presidential bid, and DeSantis is likely wrapped up in winning reelection in Florida's gubernatorial race, in which polls show him favored against Representative Charlie Crist, a Democrat. Still, pollsters are already inquiring with voters about who they would vote for in the 2024 primary.
A Big Village Poll, which surveyed 290 likely voters from November 2 to 4, found Trump with a comfortable lead against his opponents. The poll found him winning 53 percent of Republicans' support, compared to DeSantis' 30 percent, Vice President Mike Pence's 12 percent and Representative Liz Cheney's 3 percent. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
On the other hand, an October 31 to November 2 Echelon Insights poll of 219 likely voters found DeSantis up 16 points in a head-to-head against Trump. The poll found DeSantis winning 52 percent of support compared to Trump's 36 percent and had a margin of error of plus or minis 5.4 percentage points.
Newsweek reached out to Trump's office for comment.
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