In a fiery speech delivered at the Florida Republican Party's Freedom Summit, former President Donald Trump took a jab at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, mocking him as a "wounded falling bird." The event, held in their home state, witnessed Trump reiterate his long-standing belief that DeSantis had shown disloyalty by daring to run against him for the nation's highest office.

Taking the stage beneath graphics proclaiming "Florida is Trump Country," the 45th commander-in-chief reminded the audience how he had endorsed DeSantis during his 2018 campaign for the governorship. Trump proudly claimed responsibility for DeSantis' meteoric rise in popularity, remarking, "I endorsed him and he became a rocket ship in 24 hours." However, he quickly followed up with a taunt, describing DeSantis as a "wounded falling bird from the sky."

Highlighting what he believed was just punishment for DeSantis, Trump pointed to polling results indicating that the governor's popularity in the upcoming 2024 race was plummeting. Recent surveys suggest that DeSantis is trailing Trump by 27 percentage points, with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley tying for second place.

Trump's attacks on DeSantis have been recurring, as he has labeled him with degrading nicknames, such as "Ron DeSanctimonious" and "DeSaster." The former president has repeatedly targeted DeSantis, who was once considered his strongest opponent for the Republican nomination.

Confident in his own support base, Trump assured the enthusiastic crowd that he was poised to win the Florida primary for the third consecutive time and secure a decisive victory in the state during the upcoming November elections. He also boasted about successfully swaying several Florida lawmakers to withdraw their endorsements of DeSantis in the lead-up to the summit.

Prior to Trump's speech, DeSantis had addressed the crowd, making veiled jabs at the former president without mentioning his name. Condemning past Republican failures in winnable elections and branding the GOP as "toxic" outside of Florida, DeSantis emphasized that his state had led the way in defeating the left at an institutional level. Applauding his conservative policy victories, DeSantis proudly stated, "No state has done more to beat the left than we have in the state of Florida."

In response to Trump's latest show of support in Florida, DeSantis downplayed the significance, stating that the dynamics of politics often lead to such shifts in endorsements. He dismissed the situation as something that occurs in these events, mentioning that flips have happened in other states as well.

As the race for the 2024 Republican nomination heats up, the clash between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis continues to captivate political observers, with both figures vying for support in the crucial battleground state of Florida.