DeSantis reportedly 'distancing' himself from Trump as rumblings of a potential 2024 White House run grow louder: 'There's no upside to rolling around in the mud with Trump'

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is ignoring former President Donald Trump's recent jabs against him.
• "There is no upside to rolling around in the mud with Trump at this point," a source told The New York Post.

Ron DeSantis is ignoring Donald Trump's recent jabs against him, and the Florida governor has begun disassociating himself from the ex-president, according to The New York Post.

"There is no upside to rolling around in the mud with Trump at this point," the DeSantis source told the right-leaning outlet. "Only downside."

The source continued: "He'll continue to govern effectively, build his war chest and elevate himself in the minds of Republican voters. If he's seen getting things done while Trump wails in the background, that's a win," according to the report.

DeSantis, whose reputation is growing within the GOP, defeated Democrat Charlie Crist in the Sunshine State's gubernatorial race earlier this week. His redistricting efforts in the state also allowed Republicans to pick up several House seats as the party wrestles for control of the chamber after Tuesday's midterm results continue to be tabulated. The victory has insiders signaling a potential DeSantis candidacy for the Republican presidential primary in 2024.

Trump, who has been teasing another bid for the White House, has taken many digs at his former ally this week, calling him an "average Republican governor with great Public Relations" and giving him a nickname.

"And now, Ron DeSanctimonious is playing games! 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," Trump said in a tirade on Truth Social.

CBS News reported that some allies of DeSantis have expressed their disdain at Trump's comments and have been encouraging the Florida governor to proceed with a run for the Oval Office. The source told the Post that the "distancing" between DeSantis and Trump "began a long time ago."

The tabloid recently released a cover story mocking Trump as a nursery-rhyme character, labeling him "Trumpty Dumpty."