DeSantis insisted that the reported feud between him and Trump was "bunk" claims generated by the media and Democrats, accusing them of stoking divisions to weaken the Republican Party ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.
He also highlighted his support for the ex-President by encouraging podcast host Joe Rogan to stand up to fuss over his frequent use of the n-word in episodes of his audio show. DeSantis said people trusted the former Fear Factor host on COVID-19 more than CNN because the media giant was ''spewing disinformation."
Trump told Rogan to "stop apologizing" on Monday night as the podcast host attempts to hinder the blowback over his use of the offense.
"Donald Trump's a friend of mine. He is proud when people do well, and it's not just me, but obviously he's a Florida resident, and he appreciates the job that we've done," DeSantis told Fox News.
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"He's told me that many times, not only with helping with the election, but just how we govern the state."
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Neither Trump nor DeSantis has confirmed 2024 ambitions. But early GOP polls show the Florida governor, who became famous following Trump's blessing, is a remote second to the ex-president as the favorite for the Republican nomination.
Multiple reports have suggested that Trump is privately irritated about DeSantis' massive rise from pro-Trump House lawmaker to a top White House contender and has bristled that DeSantis has not ruled out a 2024 challenge.
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DeSantis said Trump "wants to see Republicans doing well." "And I think when the media is trying to act like he's upset at me for doing well, I think that's total bunk. I think they're just making it up," he said. Asked about reports that Trump said DeSantis has a "dull personality," the Florida governor suggested it was a lie generated by Democrats or the media, claiming they were trying to shift political discourse away from President Joe Biden's crisis-plagued first year in office.
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"So they know that, they know the Democrats are in for a shellacking in 2022. So they're trying to change the topic, and they're trying to drive dissension among Republicans," DeSantis claimed.
"And so my message to people is, don't take that bait. Understand what they're trying to do. We need to be united and say we don't like what the Biden Administration's doing." He urged his fellow party members to "go into '22 with a full head of steam with everybody united on the same team."