Former President Donald Trump's insults at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a rally in Waco, Texas, were met with silence from his usually adoring audience. Trump said DeSantis begged him for an endorsement with "tears in his eyes" during his gubernatorial campaign in 2018. Still, the audience was quieter than usual; only jeering once Trump's attention shifted to other public figures, such as Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen. It is the latest in a series of jabs exchanged between Trump and DeSantis, both of whom are expected to be GOP frontrunners for the 2024 presidential nomination. Even though DeSantis hasn't officially announced his candidacy yet, he will likely pose a significant challenge if he chooses to run.

Trump also claimed that DeSantis was a "disciple" of former Speaker Paul Ryan, calling the Florida governor a "big fan" of Ryan. However, Trump's comments are unusual since he backed DeSantis during his campaign for governor and helped him win. The exchange comes amid an investigation into Trump’s alleged involvement in hush money payments to Daniels, where Trump could face up to four years in prison if convicted. Representatives for both Trump and DeSantis did not immediately respond to comment on this matter.