Trump tried to mock Ron DeSantis at his Texas rally. He was met with mostly silence from the audience.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images, Scott Olson/Getty Images
- The crowd went quiet when Trump mocked Gov. Ron DeSantis during his rally speech in Waco, Texas.
- Trump claimed DeSantis begged him for an endorsement in 2018 with "tears in his eyes."
- The crowd was only responsive when Trump mocked other people, like Stormy Daniels.
Former President Donald Trump's jabs at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a rally in Waco, Texas, on Saturday were met with a muted response from his usually adoring audience.
During his speech, Trump said DeSantis begged him for an endorsement with "tears in his eyes" when running for Florida governor in 2018. Trump first made the unsubstantiated claim about DeSantis in February.
Trump then segued into a comedy bit where he pretended to be a sobbing DeSantis, saying: "Sir if you'll endorse me I'll win, please, please sir, endorse me."
The crowd, which had been cheering up until that point, was subdued when Trump made these comments. The audience continued to be silent while Trump bragged about helping to get DeSantis elected and railed against the possibility that DeSantis may run against him in 2024.
"I'm not a big fan," Trump said of DeSantis, calling the governor a "disciple" of former Speaker Paul Ryan, a vocal Trump critic.
In contrast, Trump's rally crowd jeered loudly when he trash-talked other people. These included Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress who alleges that Trump paid her hush money to keep her quiet about an affair; Trump's former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell; Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg; and Trump's 2016 rival, former First Lady Hillary Clinton.
Although DeSantis has not officially announced a 2024 presidential bid, he will be Trump's biggest rival if he does choose to run.
Trump's comments come as he is neck-deep in an investigation led by Bragg over his potential involvement in hush money payments to Daniels. Trump could face up to four years in prison if convicted.
Representatives for Trump and DeSantis did not immediately reply to Insider's requests for comment made outside regular business hours.