Former President Donald Trump has been mocking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in casual conversations, referring to him as “Meatball Ron,” according to a Sunday report from The New York Times. The catchy nickname, according to the Times, is “an apparent dig” at DeSantis’ appearance. Another insulting sobriquet that the former president is beta-testing behind closed doors is “Shutdown Ron,” in reference to the restrictions the Florida governor initially enacted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Neither name has been trotted out to the public yet, unlike the slightly unwieldy “Ron DeSanctimonious” label that Trump has been hurling at DeSantis since the midterm elections. The atmosphere between the onetime allies—Trump endorsed and stumped for DeSantis in 2018, with his support being seen as a decisive factor in his gubernatorial victory—has grown charged in recent months, with the former president most recently insinuating that the governor had “groomed” high school girls during his time as a teacher.
