ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As speculation of a 2024 presidential rivalry heats up, former President Donald Trump seems to be testing out a new nickname for Gov. Ron DeSantis:
"Meatball Ron."
According to The New York Times, Trump has used the moniker to insult the Florida governor in casual conversations, seemingly taking a dig at his appearance or, perhaps, his Italian heritage.
Name-calling isn't a new move for Trump, who has already launched his 2024 bid for the White House. You may remember "Lyin' Ted," "Crooked Hillary" and "Little Marco" being tossed around during his 2016 presidential run.
Though some may argue the nicknames are a low blow, it's hard to disagree with the fact that they're effective in gaining traction with his base.
“These nicknames really work for Trump. They’re not only an attempt to diminish an opponent, they are code words for something else. And they distract people’s attention," Democratic strategist Brad Bannon told Roll Call.
Whether "Meatball Ron" will stick will be a question of time. It's already made its way to the late-night hosts, and it is wittier than the "Ron De-Sanctimonious" nickname Trump first dropped back in November.
Though widely speculated, DeSantis has yet to announce a run for the White House. He has, however, been careful to avoid engaging in discourse about Trump and his colorful insults.
DeSantis has recently pivoted away from any questions about the former president and even said "people just need to chill out a little bit" with talk of a potential presidential rivalry.
Still, recent polls show DeSantis leading Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup.
In a February 2023 survey from Monmouth University, 53% of Republican voters said they would pick DeSantis versus just 40% who said they would vote for Trump.
A poll from Morning Consult showed similar results, with respondents signaling that DeSantis would fare better in a general election against President Joe Biden than Trump would for several key demographics.