By Yashwant Raj

Washington, Nov 12 (IANS): The Republican primaries for the 2024 Presidential nomination are well and truly underway even though no one has actually declared their candidacy yet.

Former President Donald Trump, who has been teasing a third run and has hinted at a big announcement anytime now, has now gone after Ron DeSantis, the Republican Governor of Florida whose thumping win in the 2022 midterms has catapulted him to the top of the list of Presidential probables.

"Ron DeSanctimonious is playing games!," Trump said in a statement and in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, twisting the Governor's last name.

"The Fake News asks him if he's going to run if President Trump runs, and he says, 'I'm only focused on the Governor's race, I'm not looking into the future'. Well, in terms of loyalty and class, that's really not the right answer," he added.

Trump also claimed credit for DeSantis' first run for governorship of Florida in 2017, saying the latter was trailing in the race and his campaign had collapsed and he was rescued by the former President's endorsement. DeSantis did indeed benefit from the endorsement and won.

DeSantis has styled himself in the mould of Trump, embracing the former President's MAGA-brand of politics, and is increasingly seen as Trump minus the baggage that Trump brings. And many Republicans believe him to be the future of the party, especially after his re-election by 20 points.

The New York Post, the Rupert Murdoch-owned conservative daily, put DeSantis and his family on the cover on election night with the headline that left not much unsaid: "DeFUTURE".

The powerful Murdoch news media empire, which includes Fox News and The Wall Street Journal, had backed Trump's nomination in 2016 and all of his Presidency until January 6, 2021, when the former President sent hordes of supporters to the Capitol to prevent a joint session of lawmakers from certifying Joe Biden as the victor of the 2020 Presidential elections.

The 'DeFUTURe' headline was shot at Trump, who many Republicans are blaming for the party's poor showing in the 2022 midterm elections. The party out of power has historically grabbed the US Congress with massive margins, but the Republicans bucked that trend. Trump has been blamed for, one, backing undeserving candidates and, two, continuing to spread lies about his election defeat.

Trump has also taken a dig at Virginia's Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who is also said to be considering a White House run in 2024.

"Young Kin (now that's an interesting take. Sounds Chinese, doesn't it?) in Virginia couldn't have won without me," he wrote on Truth Social, adding, "I Endorsed him, did a very big Trump Rally for him telephonically, got MAGA to Vote for him - or else he couldn't have come close to winning. But he knows that, and admits it. Besides, having a hard time with the Dems in Virginia - But he'll get it done!"

'Young Kin' did get Trump's endorsement in his governor race in 2020, but kept the former President at arm's length. He did not appear with him at any campaign event, and was largely noted as having shown the way for the party to go around Trump's toxic politics and presence and move ahead of it.