DESANTIS RACKS UP WINS WHILE TRUMP, POTENTIAL 2024 OPPONENTS TAKE SWIPES AT FLORIDA GOVERNOR
Former President Donald Trump has yet to stop in Iowa, a hotspot for primary campaigns, despite numerous potential 2024 challengers doing so. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
"The name-calling has turned a lot of people off," Tapia said of Trump. "Let me tell you, we don’t like that."
While DeSantis hasn't announced a 2024 presidential run, he is frequently floated as a top contender to face off against Trump in the Republican primary.
DESANTIS SLIGHTLY EDGES TRUMP AS PREFERRED LEADER OF REPUBLICAN PARTY: POLL
Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (Jayme Gershen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The governor is also releasing an autobiography on Feb. 28, titled "The Courage to Be Free: Florida's Blueprint for America's Revival," which is viewed by political pundits as another sign he is readying an announcement.
Tapia was a six-figure donor to Trump's presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020, he told Politico. He has since donated more than $50,000 to DeSantis' re-election bid, according to the report. He has also hosted multiple fundraising events for the governor.
Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks as he announces a proposal for Digital Bill of Rights, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Trump's digs at DeSantis began in November, when the former president branded him "Ron DeSanctimonious" just three days before the midterm elections.
When Election Day came, the Wall Street Journal published comments by Trump threatening to release dirt on DeSantis if the governor decided to run for president.
Trump recently insisted on his Truth Social site that contrary to his frequent mocking and name-calling of DeSantis, he rarely thinks about the governor. "I don’t even think about it — A very unimportant subject to me!!!" he declared last week.
Fox News' Jessica Chasmar contributed to this report.