Donald Trump Says DeSantis Fired Top Ally Over 'Complete Disaster' Campaign

Donald Trump has claimed Ron DeSantis "fired" key political ally Phil Cox because the Florida governor's campaign for the presidency "is a complete disaster."

The former president didn't provide any proof that DeSantis was behind the departure of Cox, who had been working as an unpaid adviser for the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down before leaving the post on Saturday. A senior figure within DeSantis's campaign told Newsweek that they, nor the Florida governor, had anything to do with Cox's departure.

DeSantis launched his presidential bid on Wednesday during a Twitter Spaces conversation with Elon Musk. However, the event was marred by technical difficulties that led to mockery of the Florida Republican on social media. Polling indicates DeSantis is Trump's most dangerous rival for the 2024 Republican nomination, although the ex-president has built up a strong lead over the past few months.

Writing on his Truth Social website, Trump said: "Ron DeSanctimonious just fired, like on 'The Apprentice,' his friend and top campaign official, Phil Cox, because his campaign is a complete disaster, and 2028 is looking really bad."

"His campaign manager, who so deftly handled the Ted Cruz campaign against me, wanted to work for me, but was turned down - a 'money grubber' like no other, and won't quit until he's got every last penny."

On Thursday Cox described himself as "an unpaid, volunteer adviser to Never Back Down and proud to support Governor DeSantis," in a statement sent to ABC News.

According to Politico reporter Alex Isenstadt, Cox remains a DeSantis supporter despite his departure from Never Back Down.

Newsweek has contacted Never Back Down, via Facebook direct message, asking for clarification on the circumstances behind Cox's departure.

DeSantis's official live stream presidential campaign launch on Wednesday was plagued by glitches with the audio suffering from echoes, feedback issues, and at one point cutting out entirely.

As a consequence, the hashtag '#DeSaster' began trending on Twitter in the United States as social media users mocked the Florida governor's announcement.

DeSantis later suggested the event's popularity was responsible for the technical issues, commenting: "We had a huge audience, it was the biggest they'd ever had.

"It did break the Twitter space. And so we're really excited with the enthusiasm, but ultimately it's about the future of our country."

In an interview with Newsweek, Susan MacManus, distinguished professor emeritus at the University of South Florida, suggested the contest between Trump and DeSantis is likely to be heated.

"It's no holds barred from here on out because the stakes are so high and time is short, so it'll be interesting to contrast the styles of each other," she said. "We know what Trump's style looks like, but will DeSantis' be somewhat more subtle but direct?"

Update 5/28/23, 11:32 a.m. ET: This article has been updated following contact with a senior figure in the DeSantis campaign.