DeSantis sounds off on ‘petty’ Trump name-calling, says he ‘alienated’ voters

LACONIA, N.H. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis sounded off on former President Donald Trump for “juvenile” and “petty” name-calling, a known habit of Trump’s that DeSantis argued lost him the White House in 2020 to President Joe Biden.

DeSantis, talking on The Pulse of New Hampshire‘s radio show, was asked about the nicknames, such as “Rob,” “DeSanctimonious” and “DeSanctus.”

“I think it’s so petty,” he said. “I think it’s so juvenile. I don’t think that’s what voters want and honestly, I think that his conduct, which he’s been doing for years now, I think that’s one of the reasons he’s not in the White House now.”

“I think he alienated too many voters for things that really don’t matter. So I don’t get in the gutter on any of that,” DeSantis continued.

He said voters want to see “substantive debates,” to which DeSantis pointed to the two candidates’ disagreement on COVID-19 – Trump praising former Democrat New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s response – along with amnesty for illegal aliens, which Trump tried to approve in a compromise for border wall funding.

DeSantis pivoted back to the name-calling, saying elections can’t be on by “alienating” voters.

“I won almost 60% of the vote in a swing state. You don’t do that by alienating people. You do that by attracting people who want to share your vision, and appreciate the accomplishments and the results that you’ve delivered for them,” he said.

“I don’t care about any of that, but I think it is a distraction and I think it turns off the voters,” DeSantis went on.

“How are we going to be able to win dependent voters in New Hampshire and other key states if we’re going to be engaged in that type of that type of back and fort? I think the voters are sick of it.”

On Thursday, DeSantis continued his “Great American Comeback” tour, making multiple stops in New Hampshire.

He will conclude the first week of the tour on Friday in South Carolina, another early primary state.

Then, next week, DeSantis will travel across Texas.

Trump himself has been campaigning in Iowa this week, coinciding with DeSantis’ visit.

The former president recently argued he will be able to get more done than a DeSantis presidency, only needing “six months” to turn the U.S. around.