- Ron DeSantis snapped at a reporter when asked about his name pronunciation.
- "It's ridiculous," the GOP 2024 candidate said, and refused to reveal the right pronunciation.
Ron DeSantis got tetchy with a reporter who asked the Republican presidential candidate how his surname should be pronounced.
"It's ridiculous. These stupid things. Listen, the way to pronounce my last name – winner," the Florida governor snapped at a reporter at a campaign event in New Hampshire when asked to clear up the mystery Thursday.
In recent days DeSantis' main rival for the GOP 2024 presidential nomination, former President Donald Trump, has needled DeSantis over his name, accusing him of jumping between pronunciations.
Media reports have highlighted how DeSantis switches between pronouncing his surname 'Dee-Santis' and 'Deh-Santis.'
—Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) June 2, 2023
"Have you heard that 'Rob' DeSanctimonious wants to change his name, again?" Trump posted on his Truth Social social media site Wednesday night. "He is demanding that people call him DeeeSantis, rather than DaSantis."
In a radio interview in New Hampshire early Thursday, DeSantis hit back at Trump, labeling the insults "petty" and "juvenile."
"I don't think that's what voters want," said DeSantis. "And honestly I think that his conduct, which he's been doing for years now, I think that's one of the reasons he's not in the White House now."
When asked by Axios about the correct pronunciation, DeSantis' 2024 campaign refused to answer the question, and the pro-DeSantis super PAC, Never Back Down, also declined to say.
Trump has aimed a steady stream of insults at DeSantis as he geared up his bid to challenge Trump for the 2024 nomination. As things stand, Trump leads in polls of Republican primary voters, while DeSantis is second, according to an aggregate of polls by FiveThirtyEight.