Trump derides 'unimportant' hypothetical DeSantis 2024 challenge

Former President Donald Trump on Monday derided a hypothetical presidential run from Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as "unimportant" and indicated he spent little time thinking about that prospect.

"All of the Fake News is reporting that I spend large amounts of my time coming up with a good 'nickname' for Ron DeSanctimonious, who is obviously going to give the presidential 'thing' a shot," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "They are all 100% wrong, I don't even think about it — A very unimportant subject to me!!!"

Trump's remarks follow reporting from the New York Times that he had begun referring to the Florida governor as "Meatball Ron." Trump has often bestowed derisive nicknames on his political adversaries, such as "Lil' Marco," in reference to Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.

He once referred to former Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich as "one-in-thirty-eight Kasich," a nod to his dismal performance in the 2016 Republican Primary. He famously labelled former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as "Crooked Hillary" while Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders earned the moniker "Crazy Bernie."

President Joe Biden earned the name "Hidin' Biden" during the 2020 presidential campaign over claims he was avoiding the spotlight out of fear of making a gaffe.

Trump's fixation on DeSantis, however, comes amid rumors he may launch a challenge to Trump for the GOP's 2024 presidential nomination, a prospect Trump would prefer to avoid.

Though formerly close allies, DeSantis's rising fame in the GOP has put him at odds with Trump and that feud has turned nasty in recent weeks. The former president garnered backlash last week after resharing an image that purportedly depicts DeSantis drinking with underaged girls while he was still a teacher, an allegation that remains unsubstantiated.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.