Former President Donald Trump said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis “could hurt himself very badly” if he runs for the Republican nomination for president in 2024 against Mr. Trump.
“I don’t know that he’s running,” Mr. Trump told reporters on his private plane late Monday after a rally in Ohio. “I think if he runs, he could hurt himself very badly.”
Mr. Trump, who is expected to announce his own bid for the White House next week, referred to Mr. DeSantis mockingly as “Ron DeSanctimonious” during a campaign rally over the weekend. But the former president said he did vote for Mr. DeSantis for a second term as governor on Tuesday.
Some analysts believe a strong win by Mr. DeSantis Tuesday would give him extra momentum for a presidential bid.
The former president said Mr. DeSantis “would be making a mistake” to get into the presidential race.
“I think the base would not like it,” he said.
“If he runs, he runs,” Mr. Trump said. But, “If he did run, I will tell you things about him that won’t be very flattering. I know more about him than anybody other than perhaps his wife, who is really running his campaign.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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