Trump trashes 'globalist' Ron DeSantis and links him to 'low energy' Jeb Bush

Former President Donald Trump early on Monday morning took a shot at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whom polls have shown is his toughest rival for the Republican presidential nomination.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said DeSantis owed his entire political career to his endorsement in the 2018 governor's race, and accused him of being a plant for the Republican establishment.

"Ron DeSanctimonious, who I made Governor in BOTH the Primary & the General, is also a Globalist, & so are his donors," Trump charged. "Jeb 'Low Energy' Bush was next to him last week. Check PAST!"

In contrasting himself to DeSantis, Trump declared that he was "America First all the way," which he called "the ONLY way we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN."

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Although DeSantis has yet to formally announce a bid for the White House, Trump has nonetheless started attacking him frequently, as he trotted out the "DeSanctimonious" nickname for him just days before DeSantis was set to face voters in the Florida governor's race.

Trump has also made veiled threats about blowing up the entire GOP should he be denied the nomination, as last year he promoted an article encouraging him to run as a third-party candidate if Republicans pick someone else in 2024.