Donald Trump has once again taken aim at his 2024 presidential election rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. This time, the twice-impeached former president has taken to social media to mock DeSantis for the way he pronounces his name.
On May 31st, Trump posted a paragraph on his alt-tech social media platform Truth Social dedicated to how DeSantis pronounces his name, further intensifying the tensions between the two potential candidates. This latest jab from Trump comes at a time when the two are battling for the Republican Party’s nomination and is just the latest in a series of attacks between the two men.
Donald Trump Continues Feud with Ron DeSantis in Truth Social Post
Trump wrote on his site, “Have you heard that “Rob” DeSanctimonious wants to change his name, again. He is demanding that people call him DeeeSantis, rather than DaSantis. Actually, I like “Da” better, a nicer flow, so I am happy he is changing it. He gets very upset when people, including reporters, don’t pronounce it correctly. Therefore, he shouldn’t mind, DeSanctimonious?”
As The Daily Beast notes, the controversial Floridian politician has pronounced his name in a number of variations including “Dee-Santis” which the outlet writes that he used “regularly during his first congressional campaign” in 2012.
In addition, the Tampa Bay Times notes that he has also used “Deh-Santis,” in recent years, and this pronunciation is “used by his wife, Casey” according to a 2018 piece. DeSantis has yet to comment on this officially.
Then-campaign communications director Stephen Lawson said at the time, "it's also been a little controversial for us on the campaign trail." He added that the governor uses "Dee-Santis," however, The Daily Beast writes that his wife Casey "apparently disagreed."
Much to Trump's dismay, DeSantis officially declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president, sharing the news late last month with a campaign video on Twitter with its owner, Elon Musk.
As governor of Florida, DeSantis has pursued "divisive, culture war-focused policies," including signing a six-week abortion ban and "targeting the teaching of LGBTQ+ and race issues" in public schools, as The Guardian reports.
