Friends to foes: How Trump and DeSantis' relationship has deteriorated over the years

FILE - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, speaks alongside President Donald Trump during a roundtable discussion on the coronavirus outbreak and storm preparedness at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla., July 31, 2020. Before Trump and DeSantis were leading rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, they were allies. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

MIAMI (AP) 鈥 It wasn't always this way.

Before and were leading rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, they were allies.

Trump gave DeSantis' gubernatorial bid an early boost by tweeting his support even before DeSantis formally entered the race. In his 2018 victory speech, DeSantis made sure to thank the president, saying, 鈥淚 think we'll have a great partnership.鈥

Here's how DeSantis and Trump鈥檚 relationship has evolved 鈥 and 鈥 as the two face off to take on Democrat Joe Biden:

鈥楿NITE BEHIND THE REPUBLICAN TICKET鈥

During the 2016 presidential campaign, then-congressman DeSantis said he wouldn't make an endorsement in the crowded field but would support the eventual nominee.

When that ended up being Trump, DeSantis issued a statement calling on fellow Republicans to back the celebrity businessman.

鈥淚t is now clear that Donald Trump will accumulate the delegates necessary to be nominated by the Republican Party,鈥 DeSantis said in a statement, according to NPR.

鈥淚f we want to defeat Hillary Clinton and have a chance to change the trajectory of our country, we need to unite behind the Republican ticket this November.鈥

THE RUSSIA PROBE

Early in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential ties between Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia, then-congressman DeSantis stepped up to the president's defense to offer his support.

鈥淲hatever (Mueller) ends up doing, it does not have legitimacy, when you have all this evidence of tainted and political bias and the disparate treatment between Hillary Clinton and then how they are treating Trump associates,鈥 DeSantis told Fox News commentator Lou Dobbs in one such TV hit in December 2017.

TWEET OF SUPPORT BEFORE GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGN

Before DeSantis entered the Florida governor鈥檚 race in 2018, he asked Trump to send out a tweet touting him as a good candidate.

Trump obliged.

鈥淐ongressman Ron DeSantis is a brilliant young leader, Yale and then Harvard Law, who would make a GREAT Governor of Florida. He loves our Country and is a true FIGHTER!鈥 Trump tweeted in December 2017.

THAT AD WITH DESANTIS BUILDING A WALL OUT OF HIS KIDS' BLOCKS

One of the most memorable moments of DeSantis' gubernatorial campaign was an ad with his children in which he shows voters just how devoted he is to Trump.

鈥淏uild the wall,鈥 he says to daughter Madison as she stacks cardboard brick blocks.

Holding son Mason in his lap, DeSantis pretend-reads to him from Trump's 鈥淭he Art of the Deal鈥: 鈥淭hen Mr. Trump said, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e fired.' I love that part.鈥

Another scene shows DeSantis holding a Trump campaign sign in front of Madison in a high chair: 鈥淢ake America Great Again,鈥 DeSantis reads.

DESANTIS THANKS TRUMP IN VICTORY SPEECH

After narrowly winning his 2018 race, DeSantis singled out Trump in his victory speech as he recognized the many people who had supported his campaign.

鈥淚鈥檇 like to thank our president for standing by me when it wasn鈥檛 necessarily the smart thing to do," DeSantis said. 鈥淢r. President, I look forward to working with you to advance Florida's priorities. I think you鈥檙e going to get tired of me calling you asking you for things for Florida, but I look forward to that, and I think we鈥檒l have a great partnership.鈥

WELCOME TO FLORIDA, MR. PRESIDENT

In 2019, Trump changed his residency from Trump Tower in New York City to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and held a 鈥渉omecoming rally鈥 with Gov. DeSantis near Miami.

鈥淲elcome home to Florida,鈥 DeSantis told him.

Trump quipped that DeSantis 鈥渂etter not be more popular in Florida than me" after extended cheers for the governor. He went on to suggest to the crowd that DeSantis should wear jackets less frequently so people know he's not fat.

EARLY COVID-19 RESPONSE

In the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, Trump applauded DeSantis for how he had handled governing the response to the virus.

鈥淗e鈥檚 done a lot of things right. And he鈥檚 been truly 鈥 I mean, he cares so much about health care. He cares so much about the cost of prescription drugs. He鈥檚 been a fantastic governor for Florida. They鈥檙e very happy with him,鈥 Trump said at a press conference.

DeSantis initially resisted issuing a statewide stay-at-home order but reversed course and issued it after facing pressure from Trump and White House advisers.

TRUMP JOKES ABOUT FIRING DESANTIS IF HE LOSES FLORIDA

At a campaign event ahead of the 2020 election, Trump praised DeSantis and called him a friend but also joked that he would blame the governor if he did not win Florida.

鈥淚鈥檒l fire him somehow. I鈥檓 going to fire him. I will find a way,鈥 he said.

Trump ended up winning Florida in 2020 by 3.4 percentage points 鈥 a bigger margin of victory than in 2016.

A TRUMP-DESANTIS TICKET?

Trump and DeSantis remained publicly supportive of each other in early 2021 鈥 so much so that Trump even floated the Florida governor as a possible 2024 running mate.

鈥淎 lot of people like that,鈥 Trump told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo in April 2021. 鈥淵ou know, I鈥檓 just saying what I read and what you read. They love that ticket. But certainly Ron would be considered. He is a great guy.鈥

DESANTIS BECOMES DESANCTIMONIOUS

As DeSantis' national profile began to rise, so did chatter about his potential as a 2024 presidential prospect 鈥 and the former president noticed.

鈥淚f I faced him, I鈥檇 beat him like I would beat everyone else," Trump said of DeSantis in October 2021, while saying that he didn't expect the governor to challenge him.

Days before the 2022 midterm election, Trump unveiled his new nickname for the governor: Ron DeSanctimonious. He then visited Miami for a rally to support U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio 鈥 but not DeSantis, who was holding a separate campaign event that same day for his own reelection.

In the days following DeSantis' reelection victory, Trump put out a statement knocking him as an 鈥渁verage REPUBLICAN governor with great Public Relations" and criticizing him for not ruling out a 2024 presidential bid.

鈥淗e says, 鈥業鈥檓 only focused on the governor鈥檚 race, I鈥檓 not looking into the future.鈥 Well, in terms of loyalty and class, that鈥檚 really not the right answer,鈥 Trump said.

DeSantis, asked to comment on Trump's remarks at a press conference, said being the target of attacks was simply part of the job.

鈥淲hat you learn is all that鈥檚 just noise," DeSantis said.

THE ATTACKS ESCALATE

In recent months, Trump has dramatically intensified his criticism of DeSantis, taking particular umbrage as what he sees as the governor's ungratefulness.

鈥淒eSantis got elected because of me. You remember he had nothing. He was dead. He was leaving the race. He came over and he begged me, begged me for an endorsement,鈥 Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt in February. 鈥淗e said, 鈥業f you endorse me, I鈥檒l win.鈥 And there were tears coming down from his eyes.鈥

Trump's campaign resurrected the 2018 DeSantis ad to remind viewers of Trump's help in the governor's political rise.

鈥淚sn鈥檛 it time DeSantis remembers how he got to where he is?鈥 the ad says.

Trump has also shared a photo suggesting impropriety when DeSantis was a teacher two decades ago, despite no evidence of that; said DeSantis needed a personality transplant; and aired an ad accusing DeSantis of 鈥渟ticking his fingers where they don't belong鈥 鈥 a reference to a Daily Beast report that the governor once ate chocolate pudding with his fingers.

On Wednesday, after DeSantis' presidential announcement on Twitter Spaces was , Trump posted a video on Truth Social of a 鈥淩on鈥 rocket falling over and exploding.

DESANTIS FIGHTS BACK 鈥 KIND OF

Although the Florida governor has largely avoided confrontation with Trump, he has managed to throw a few jabs back.

As prosecutors prepared an indictment against Donald Trump in New York, DeSantis criticized the investigation but also said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair."

In a Piers Morgan interview that aired a few days later, he laughed off a question about the nicknames Trump was using for him.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how to spell DeSanctimonious. I don鈥檛 really know what it means, but I kind of like it. It鈥檚 long, it鈥檚 got a lot of vowels. I mean, so we鈥檒l go with that. That鈥檚 fine. You can call me whatever you want, just as long as you also call me a winner,鈥 DeSantis said.

On Wednesday, after launching his campaign, DeSantis avoided referencing Trump by name but made a subtle dig at him over national Republican election losses.

鈥淲e must end the culture of losing that has infected the Republican Party in recent years," DeSantis said on Twitter Spaces. "The tired dogmas of the past are inadequate for a vibrant future. We must look forward, not backwards.鈥

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