Ron DeSantis explains relationship with Trump turned after 2022 midterms

Ron DeSantis is finally talking about his increasingly sour relationship with once close ally Donald Trump, claiming that the former president “started shooting at me” after the 2022 midterm elections.

The Florida governor, who has not yet announced a bid for the 2024 White House, has not responded to Trump’s recent attacks against him as he emerges as one of the contenders.

But DeSantis broke down the “what happened” timeline with Trump during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity Monday night, where he appeared from Japan during his international trip.

It comes just as Trump released an official attack ad against the governor on Monday night.

Donald Trump’s campaign released an attack ad Monday night against DeSantis, even though he has yet to announce a presidential candidate

As DeSantis continues to trail Trump in the polls, a new NBC News poll released Sunday shows just 6 percent of Americans want a rematch between Trump and Joe Biden in 2024.

It came just two days before Biden announced in a video Tuesday morning that he is running for re-election, announcing that the 2020 election will be held again.

“Last time I interviewed President Trump, I was there in 2018, and I always thought of you two as friends,” Hannity said. “And I asked him a very simple question, I asked him, I said, ‘What happened?’ And I think it’s only fair to ask you the same question. What do you think happened?’

“You know, I loved supporting him when he was president,” DeSantis began his reply. “We worked very hard for his re-election in Florida, and I’ve always had a good relationship with him.”

“And then, when the midterm elections came around, he started shooting at me,” the Florida governor explained.

“I didn’t really do anything for it except do a good job,” DeSantis added. ‘But that’s fine. I mean, Sean, you know, when you make things happen, you receive income from various causes. So that’s just the nature of the business.’

“I’m happy to stand strong and do what’s right,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Trump released his first proper attack ad against DeSantis on Monday night, in which the narrator detailed how the former president “saved” him from losing his 2018 gubernatorial bid in the Sunshine State.

The one-minute ad featured clips of DeSantis praising Trump.

“I want to thank our president for standing by me when it wasn’t necessarily the smart thing to do,” DeSantis said during his post-election victory speech in 2018.

The narrator then says, “You’re welcome, Ron. Unfortunately, instead of being thankful, DeSantis is now attacking the man who saved his career. Isn’t it about time DeSantis remembered how he got to where he is today?’

The ad featured several clips of DeSantis jokingly teaching his babies and toddlers about Trump, including using play blocks to “build the wall” and reading them a goodnight story from the former president’s 1987 book The Art of the Deal.

Monday’s attack ad featured clips of DeSantis “indoctrinated his kids into Trumpism” and showed footage of him teaching them to “build the wall” with toy blocks and reading stories from Trump’s 1987 book The Art of the Deal

Trump and DeSantis had a close relationship during his first term, but it soured after the governor became a clear contender for the 2024 Republican presidential election

Trump has repeatedly attacked DeSantis, but the Florida governor has remained fairly neutral in response to those offensives and has not fired back in any significant way.

The nickname Trump has used for the governor of his new home state is ‘DeSanctimonious’ and he has gone after his Florida record, also making unsubstantiated allegations that he had inappropriate relationships with underage women when he was a teacher in Georgia.

In January, Trump’s first visit to South Carolina as part of his 2024 run included his first minor attack on DeSantis, when he claimed it would be “disloyal” for him to make a presidential bid — something he hasn’t done yet.

DeSantis is currently on an international tour marketed as a “trade” tour with stops in Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom.