Donald Trump launches tirade against Republican rival Ron DeSantis

Mr Trump has accused Mr DeSantis of “playing games” and manipulating the media against him as the Florida governor gains public favour

Donald Trump effectively declared war on Republican rival Ron DeSantis with a blistering broadside against the Florida governor, setting the stage for a destructive battle within a party already wounded from a poor showing in the midterm elections.Mr Trump, who has so far largely held his tongue on the rising GOP star, accused him of “playing games” and manipulating the media against him.”NewsCorp, which is Fox, the Wall Street Journal, and the no longer great New York Post, is all in for Governor Ron DeSanctimonious, an average REPUBLICAN Governor with great Public Relations,” he wrote in a 500-word Thursday night email to supporters, referencing Rupert Murdoch-owned media outlets.The New York Post, which backed Mr Trump for re-election in 2020, eviscerated him following the lacklustre performance of candidates he endorsed in Tuesday’s elections. The previous day the paper heralded Mr DeSantis’s ascent with a front page headline “DeFUTURE”.Meanwhile, the once staunchly pro-Trump network Fox News carried Mr DeSantis’s victory speech live and published an op-ed on Wednesday titled “Ron DeSantis is the new Republican Party leader”. Mr Trump, 76, was reported to have “fumed” at his younger opponent’s favourable coverage.

Tuesday was a bad night for “Make America Great Again” Republicans, while more establishment GOP figures like New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and Georgia’s Brian Kemp easily won reelection.Many Republicans have begun openly expressing the opinion that Mr DeSantis would make for a stronger general election candidate than Mr Trump in 2024.The Palm Beach-based former president backed Mr DeSantis, 44, in a race for governor he only narrowly won back in 2018.”Ron came to me in desperate shape in 2017- 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,” Mr Trump went on. “Ron had low approval, bad polls, and no money, but he said that if I would Endorse him, he could win. I didn’t know Adam so I said, “Let’s give it a shot, Ron.”Mr Trump even attacked his fellow Floridian’s decision to re-open schools and business during the Covid-10 pandemic, which have been widely applauded by conservatives.He railed that Mr DeSantis “didn’t have to close up his state, but did, unlike other Republican Governors, whose overall numbers for a Republican, were just average – middle of the pack – including COVID, and who has the advantage of SUNSHINE, where people from badly run states up North would go no matter who the Governor was, just like I did!” 

Mr Trump is poised to announce his own bid for the White House next week, but he may enter that contest in a more vulnerable position than before, given Mr DeSantis’s growing muscle.  He also lashed out at Mr DeSantis’ responses to questions about his own 2024 ambitions.

“The Fake News asks him if he’s going to run if President Trump runs, and he says, ‘I’m only focused on the Governor’s race, I’m not looking into the future,'” Trump said in the statement. “Well, in terms of loyalty and class, that’s really not the right answer.”The open warring between its two most popular leaders will likely cause deep dismay in the GOP, which will see it as an unwelcome distraction for voters as the election looks set to be decided by a runoff in Georgia next month.