Trump's Attacks On DeSantis 'Petty, Small, Unimportant,' Says Former White House Aide

Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove on Monday criticized former President Donald Trump for constantly attacking Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

What Happened: Rove on Fox News’s “The Story” criticized Trump’s rhetoric, describing it as "petty, small, and unimportant." As the former president actively campaigns for the presidency, a former George W. Bush aide said he believes Trump is "making a mistake" with the attacks.

"The former president is better [off] spending his time talking about what it is that he wants to do rather than trying to run down his opponents. Right now, ‘Ron DeSanctimonious,' I mean, first of all, what does that mean?" Rove said.

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"I mean, Ron DeSantis has higher favorable than the former president. So he's sort of punching- punching down in one way [at] somebody that not everybody knows, but also punching up because the guy's more popular than he is," Rove added.

Why It Matters: This came after Trump, in a recent ad, called DeSantis "DeSanctimonious" and said the Florida leader "needs a personality transplant, and those are not yet available."

While Florida Governor has not officially launched his bid for the White House, he is widely seen as a prominent potential GOP contender who may enter the 2024 U.S. presidential race. 

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According to recent polls, Trump is ahead of DeSantis. Trump’s former press secretary predicted the ex-president’s lead over his other GOP nomination rivals would shrink once DeSantis officially announced his bid.

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