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Former President Donald Trump has issued the latest in a series of threats to his political rivals by warning Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis against challenging him in the next presidential election.
Trump told reporters on his private plane after a rally in Ohio on Monday that he would reveal unflattering information about DeSantis if he decides to launch a rival bid for president in 2024, according to The Wall Street Journal.
"If he [DeSantis] did run, I will tell you things about him that won't be very flattering," Trump reportedly said. "I know more about him than anybody other than perhaps his wife, who is really running his campaign."
Trump also reportedly said that he was not certain DeSantis would run for president but "if he runs, he could hurt himself very badly."
While Trump has not officially announced his own candidacy, he has heavily hinted that he will be running and told supporters at the rally on Monday to expect a "very big announcement" next week.
Speculation over DeSantis seeking the GOP nomination in 2024 has led to a rift between the governor and the former president. At a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, Trump referred to the governor as "Ron DeSanctimonious."
Regardless of the rivalry, the former president told reporters that he had cast a vote for DeSantis in Florida on Tuesday.
Trump's threat to reveal potentially damaging personal details about DeSantis was far from the first instance of him threatening a political rival.
During a 2016 presidential debate, Trump threatened to appoint a "special prosecutor" to investigate Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton for her "lies."
Chants of "lock her up," referring to Clinton, were a regular feature at Trump rallies in 2016 and long afterward. At a rally in 2020, Trump told supporters chanting the phrase that he agreed with them "100 percent."
Trump also threatened to "spill the beans" about Heidi Cruz, wife of Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, while he and the senator were facing each other in the 2016 GOP presidential primary.
In addition, Trump repeatedly accused President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden of criminal activity prior to the 2020 election, with his attempts to pressure Ukraine into investigating the Bidens leading to his first impeachment in 2019.
Only weeks before the 2020 election, Trump urged former Attorney General Bill Barr to indict Joe Biden on charges of spying on his 2016 campaign.
Trump also claimed that former President Barack Obama was part of the plot, which he called "the greatest political crime in the history of our country."
Newsweek has reached out to the DeSantis campaign and Trump's office for comment.
About the writer
Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more