While Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to announce any plans to seek the Republican Party's nomination next year, that hasn't stopped former President Donald Trump from attacking him.
The latest example came this past week when Trump accused DeSantis of ignoring a natural disaster in his home state.
Trump spoke with Breitbart after giving a speech to the National Rifle Association in Indiana on Friday, saying, "He shouldn’t be campaigning right now. He should be there."
DeSantis also spoke at the event as Fort Lauderdale and surrounding areas of Broward County struggled with flooding.
Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods are still flooded days after Wednesday's historic two feet of rain. Today is the first day without a concern of afternoon storms. The next round of heavy rain will arrive late Sunday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/0RQE8T8SeL
— Brandon Orr (@BrandonOrrWPLG) April 15, 2023
Trump also told Breitbart News that he might tour Fort Lauderdale himself, saying, "I may, I’m right there. I just left from that area—the Palm Beach area."
"Fort Lauderdale is very close," he continued, adding, "Palm Beach has been hit hard too, but not as hard as Fort Lauderdale. They say it’s once in a hundred years what happened there."
Politico reported that Trump's attack on DeSantis came after his son, Donald Trump Jr., criticized the governor for attending a Republican Party event in Butler County, Ohio.
Fort Lauderdale is under water and DeSantis is campaigning in Ohio right now instead of taking care of the people suffering in his state. https://t.co/zMzg1Va3uh
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 13, 2023
However, DeSantis spokesman Bryan Griffin provided a statement to Politico in which he said the governor has been managing the situation despite not being present in Florida.
"The governor left yesterday, and the unprecedented flooding intensified later in the night. He returns today," Griffin explained on Thursday.
"Nonetheless, at the direction of Governor DeSantis, the state emergency response apparatus is in full swing responding to the flooding and the needs of the localities as they are communicated to us. This now includes issuing a state of emergency in Broward County," he continued.
Meanwhile, Fox News reported on Sunday that the pro-DeSantis political action committee Never Back Down released an ad targeting Trump.
"Donald Trump is being attacked by a Democrat prosecutor in New York, so why is he spending millions attacking the Republican governor of Florida?" it asked.
