Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on Republican rival Ron DeSantis.
Donald Trump has attacked Republican foe Ron DeSantis
Trump took aim at his former political apprentice and described him as an "average" governor of Florida and accused him of lacking "loyalty".
DeSantis won re-election in a landslide at the midterm elections on Tuesday (08.11.22) and is widely expected to run for president in 2024. Trump is expected to launch his own bid to return to the White House but suffered a disappointing night at the midterms as many of his chosen candidates failed to convince voters.
In a lengthy statement on Thursday (10.11.22), Trump branded DeSantis as a "political lightweight" who had come to him in "desperate shape" when running for his first term in office in 2017.
Trump said: "He was politically dead, losing in a landslide to a very good agriculture commissioner, Adam Putnam, who was loaded up with cash and great poll numbers.
"Ron had low approval, bad polls, and no money, but he said that if I would endorse him, he could win.
"When I endorsed him, it was as though, to use a bad term, a nuclear weapon went off."
The former president added: "I also fixed his campaign, which had completely fallen apart."
Trump also accused DeSantis - who he has nicknamed 'Ron DeSanctimonious' - of "playing games" by refusing to rule out a bid for the US presidency.
He said: "Well, in terms of loyalty and class, that's really not the right answer."
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