Things are getting messy.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has garnered the endorsement of a former U.S. ambassador in Trump’s administration.
According to reporting by Politico, Donald Tapia, former U.S. ambassador to Jamaica between 2019 and 2021, said he’d support DeSantis over former President Donald Trump, who he asserted has alienated some voters because of his “name calling.”
Tapia explained his support for a DeSantis nomination, saying Trump’s “name calling has turned a lot of people off.”
Tapia, an Arizonan businessman, was a strong financial backer of Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns, contributing hundreds of thousands to both campaigns.
Although DeSantis has yet to announce his running for the White House in 2024, Tapia has been vocal about switching his allegiance to the Florida Governor, who Trump has repeatedly name-called.
Trump began his name-calling of the Florida Governor before he announced his campaign on November 15.
He described DeSantis as “DeSanctimonius” on several occasions since then, including at campaign events and on social media.
Trump has also repeatedly bashed the Florida Governor’s record; most recently, he took to Truth Social to claim the Sunshine State “was doing GREAT long before Ron DeSanctus got there.”
He added that people were “fleeing from New York” to Florida because of crime and taxes, “not because of Governor (thank you President Trump!) DeSanctimonious.”
He noted that Senator Rick Scott had performed well, and so had former Governor Charlie Crist, who he insisted, had “very good numbers.”
Trump also explained, “SUNSHINE AND OCEAN, very alluring!!!”
DeSantis hasn’t responded to Trump’s insults but focused on touting his victories as his toured the country.