E-Paper
Donald Trump declares end of 'DeSanctimonious' after hailing DeSantis, will he pick him as running mate?
DeSantis' decision comes just days before the New Hampshire primary set for Tuesday, making it a two-person contest between Donald Trump and Nikki Haley.
After Ron DeSantis announced an end to his 2024 presidential bid, former US President Donald Trump hailed the Florida Governor as “really terrific person” and appreciated him for the endorsement, asserting that he looks forward to defeating "crooked Joe Biden".
DeSantis' decision comes just days before the New Hampshire primary set for Tuesday, making it a two-person contest between Trump and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
“I’d like to take time to congratulate Ron DeSantis, a really terrific person … for having run a great campaign for president,” Trump stated during a rally at New Hampshire on Sunday, The Hill reported. “He ran a really good campaign. I will tell you, it’s not easy. They think it’s easy doing this stuff, right? It’s not easy. I appreciate that,” he said about the endorsement.
Targetting the incumbent US President, the Republican frontrunner further asserted: “And I also look forward to working with Ron and everybody else to defeat crooked Joe Biden. We will have to get him out.”
Haley hopes for a strong showing in the Granite State on Tuesday. In her interview with Bash on Sunday, the former UN ambassador hinted that she was confident she will be the next Republican presidential contender. According to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s polling average, the former South Carolina Governor is currently trailing Trump by about 11 points in New Hampshire.
Also Read: Nikki Haley raises concerns over Trump's 'mental fitness' after he 'confuses' her with Nancy Pelosi
Trump announces ‘DeSanctimonious’ nickname ‘officially retired’
During his campaign stop, the former president was asked if he would still be using the “DeSanctimonious” moniker he penned for the Florida governor.
“You said, ‘Will I be using the name Ron DeSanctimonious.’ I said that name is officially retired,” Trump told the crowd in New Hampshire, as shown in a video shared by Trump aide Margo Martin on X (formerly Twitter).
Ahead of the 2022 midterms, Trump initially referred to DeSantis as “Ron DeSanctimonious” amid rumors that he was considering a GOP challenge to the former president. During his campaign, DeSantis mainly downplayed the nicknames and criticism, claiming that last year's name-calling was "petty" and "childish."
In his Sunday video announcement, DeSantis has indicated his support for Trump. Reacting to it, Trump told Fox News Digital that receiving his endorsement was a “great honor.”
“I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge. He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear: a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents,” DeSantis stated in the statement.
Will Trump choose DeSantis as his running mate?
Last year in October, DeSantis clearly stated he will decline any offer to be Trump’s 2024 running mate.
When asked the hypothetical question on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, he said: “No. I’m running for president We need somebody that can serve two terms.” So far DeSantis name is not on the list of Trump's likely options for a new vice-presidential running mate.
On Friday, Trump shot down the notion of selecting Haley, an Indian-American candidate for president, as his running mate, claiming that “she was not of that caliber”.
“She is OK, but she is not presidential timber. And when I say that, that probably means she is not going to be chosen as the vice president,” Trump said at a rally in Concord.
“When you say certain things, it sort of takes them out of play, right? I can’t say, ‘She’s not of the timber to be the vice president’ and then say, ‘Ladies and gentleman, I’m proud to announce that I’ve picked',” Trump added.
