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'Third grade education': Trump campaign skewered for calling Ron DeSantis 'thirsty wannabe model'

Steven Cheung said, 'At the debate, Ron will flail his arms and bobble his head wildly, looking more like a San Francisco crackhead'

MIAMI, FLORIDA: In a fiery message posted on Truth Social, former President Donald Trump's spokesperson, Steven Cheung, took a swipe at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

He likened him to a "thirsty, third-rate OnlyFans wannabe model" and accused him of being "so desperate for attention" that he's engaging in a debate with California Governor Gavin Newsom.

'Kiss of death' press release

"Ron DeSanctimonious is acting more like a thirsty, third-rate OnlyFans wannabe model than an actual presidential candidate. Instead of actually campaigning and trying to turn around his dismal poll numbers, DeSanctus is now so desperate for attention that he's debating a Grade A loser like Gavin Newsom," said Cheung in a press release titled "Kiss of Death" on the day of the scheduled Fox News debate.

"At the debate, Ron will flail his arms and bobble his head wildly, looking more like a San Francisco crackhead than the governor of Florida. This isn’t a prediction. It’s a spoiler," Cheung continued.

"It's never been clearer that Ron DeSanctus doesn't have his eye on the ball. Despite falling to FIFTH PLACE in New Hampshire and failing to gain any ground in Iowa for months, DeSantis appears to already be auditioning for a career in reality television, with tonight's circus with Gavin Newsom," Cheung added. 

Social media backlash

DeSantis supporters swiftly criticized the Trump team's characterization of the Florida governor on social media.

"This is something that a middle school kid would write, if he had a third-grade education. This is not Presidential. Trump continually shows that he can’t lead," one posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"Trump can't really talk about someone else debating because he literally won't do it. I wish Trump would just stop with the name-calling," another wrote.

"Is he really that worried about him? needs a thicker skin," a comment read.

"Trump sounds like a 5-year-old schoolyard bully," someone else added.

"The hypocrisy is astounding! How does the orange man talk about how to act as a Presidential candidate when he doesn’t even know how to act as a President. And again with China when he has hundreds of business deals there. Let’s keep it real Trump wished he was an OnlyFans model," another offered.

DeSantis versus Trump

The ongoing feud between Trump's campaign and DeSantis' camp has escalated in recent months as the Florida governor positions himself as a formidable alternative to Trump.

DeSantis voiced concerns about Trump as a nominee, calling him a "high-risk proposition" and highlighting the challenges of Trump being a "lame duck on day one."

"Donald Trump is a high-risk proposition as a nominee because I think the chance of him getting elected is small, but it’s a low reward because he’s going to be a lame duck on day one – that even if he could get elected, he would not be able to attract the type of talent to work in his administration and he’d be saddled with all these distractions that it’d be virtually impossible to get the job done," he said earlier this month.

The super PAC supporting Trump's campaign intensified its attack on DeSantis, spending millions on attack ads.

DeSantis responded by highlighting this expenditure as evidence of his growing popularity, particularly in Iowa, where he received endorsements from Governor Kim Reynolds and influential evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats.

Despite DeSantis leading in Iowa, Trump remains a significant force, with a 30-point lead according to the Real Clear Politics average.

"The good news for Ron DeSantis is he is the front-runner in Iowa if former President Trump was not competing to win Iowa," GOPAC Chairman David Avella told Fox News earlier this week.

"The bad news for Ron DeSantis is former President Trump is organizing to win Iowa. For DeSantis to win, he needs to get [there to] caucus those voters who are still keeping their options open and those voters who are only considering candidates other than Donald Trump. It is going to take him convincing voters with a clear, concise message that his ideas are the best solutions," he added.