STICKS AND STONES

Trump’s ‘Juvenile Insults’ Help Me, DeSantis Claims

“I actually don’t mind that at all.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is trying to put a positive spin on the myriad nasty names that his 2024 Republican rival Donald Trump has cooked up for him, claiming that the name-calling has actually been good for his campaign. “When he hits me with the… juvenile insults, I think that helps me,” DeSantis told reporters at a campaign stop in New Hampshire on Sunday. “I don’t think voters like that. I think they look at it and they realize like: ‘You know, what? That’s not effective.’ And so I don’t think it’s effective, so I actually don’t mind it at all.” He added that he believes the insults are a “reminder why there’s so many millions of voters who will never vote for him going forward.” Trump, who currently holds a major lead over the Florida governor in the polls, has variously called DeSantis “DeSanctimonious,” “DeSaster,” and “Rob” in public, reportedly also mocking him as “Meatball Ron,” “Tiny D,” and even “DeSoros” in private.