Former President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Friday to mock Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) over a new round of polling from Harvard CAPS/Harris suggesting that DeSantis is not only dropping in the polls, but is no longer even guaranteed to be a solid second-place finisher.
"Big Harvard/Harris Poll just out: TRUMP 59, DeSanctimonious 14," wrote Trump. "When will DeSanctus hit single digits? Will he continue to hold onto 2nd place? Will his poor performance knock him out as a viable candidate in 2028? Has his campaign manager, Jeff Roe, exhausted his war chest yet?"
"Loyalty, something you don’t see much of in politics, has turned out to be more important than most people would have thought!" Trump added.
Before last year, Trump and DeSantis were firm allies — Trump's endorsement in 2018 helped secure DeSantis' underdog bid for the nomination for governor of Florida in the first place. However, as DeSantis ramped up his presidential ambitions, that put him at odds with Trump, who is seeking to return to the White House — possibly in part, according to some experts, to shield himself from criminal prosecution.
In addition to blasting DeSantis as disloyal, Trump and his allies have also attacked DeSantis on policy, including over his former suggestion to cut Social Security, his embrace of the controversial FairTax proposal, his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his legal battle with Disney.
All of this comes as Trump faces federal indictment over boxes of highly classified national defense information stowed at his Mar-a-Lago resort. His allies have expressed confidence that the indictment will actually help him politically, however, while he appears to be solidifying his grip over the GOP nomination, other polls show warning signs that he may be slipping with general election voters.
