Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis revealed his favorite nickname from former President Donald Trump ahead of the governor’s highly anticipated presidential bid.
Piers Morgan asked DeSantis if he prefers the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious” or “Meatball Ron” in an exclusive interview set to air Thursday.
Ron DeSantis on his favourite nickname that Donald Trump has given him so far:
“I don’t know how to spell DeSanctimonious. I don’t really know what it means but I kind of like it.”
Watch his interview with Piers Morgan, Thursday 8pm.@piersmorgan | @GovRonDeSantis pic.twitter.com/c763ZNm3CK
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) March 22, 2023
“I don’t know how to spell ‘DeSanctimonious,’ I don’t really know what it means, but I kind of like it. It’s long, it’s got a lot of vowels. We’ll go with that. That’s fine,” DeSantis said in a clip shared by Morgan.
“You can call me whatever you want, just as long as you also call me a winner, because that’s what we’ve been able to do in Florida, is put a lot of points on the board and really take the state to the next level,” he added. (RELATED: ‘Tiny D Is Good’: Trump Weighs In On Reported DeSantis Nickname, Says He’d Be Working At Pizza Hut If Not For Him)
DeSantis also criticized Trump’s decision not to fire former White House senior medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, as well as Trump’s “chaotic leadership style” in his interview with Morgan. The full interview is set to air Thursday on Fox Nation’s “Piers Morgan Uncensored.”
Trump has reportedly toyed with calling DeSantis “Tiny D.” He told Daily Caller chief national correspondent Henry Rodgers he thinks the nickname “is good.”
Trump has also said “Meatball Ron” is “too crude” and mentioned “DeSanctus” as a shorthand for “DeSanctimonious.” He said nicknames are a “very unimportant subject” in a Truth Social post in February.
DeSantis is widely expected to run for president against Trump and a growing field of Republican candidates.