DeSantis praises Trump in new book amid former president's repeated attacks

Gov. Ron DeSantis praised former President Donald Trump in his upcoming book for endorsing him in his race for governor and appealing to grassroots Republican voters, despite Trump's repeated attacks on the Florida governor, who is seen as a top potential challenger to Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary.

"Since Ronald Reagan flew back to California on January 20, 1989, the GOP grass roots had been longing for someone who rejected the old-guard way of doing business and who could speak to their concerns and aspirations. Trump supported policies that appealed to the base in a way that GOP leaders in the DC swamp had been either incapable of doing or unwilling to do," DeSantis wrote in his upcoming book "The Courage to Be Free," obtained by The Guardian.

DeSantis also said Trump's endorsement of his first gubernatorial campaign in 2018 helped "enhance [his] name recognition."

"I knew that a Trump endorsement would provide me with the exposure to GOP primary voters across the State of Florida, and I was confident that many would see me as a good candidate once they learned about my record," DeSantis wrote. "I had developed a good relationship with the president largely because I supported his initiatives in Congress and opposed the Russia collusion conspiracy theory."

Although DeSantis has not announced plans to run for president in 2024, Trump has repeatedly criticized the Florida governor and even nicknamed him "Ron DeSanctimonious."

Trump said last month that if DeSantis decides to run in the 2024 presidential primary, "We'll handle that the way I handle things."