Donald Trump's advisers have claimed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is responsible for ramping up stories of a feud between the former President and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Rumors have swirled about the pair in recent weeks, with Trump reportedly being angry the popular Florida governor hasn't said that he won't challenge him for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
Trump is said to have branded DeSantis a 'dull' charisma free-zone as the former President began to voice his frustrations to those in his inner circle.
But now, Trump's advisers have claimed McConnell, who is in a battle with the former President over the future of the Republican Party, is responsible for ramping up the stories of a feud.
They pointed to DeSantis' appearance on the Ruthless podcast, which is co-hosted by McConnell's longtime adviser Josh Holmes, after the Florida governor criticized the Covid lockdowns that Trump had encouraged early on in the pandemic.
A top Trump adviser, voicing the views of four other anonymous staffers, told Fox News: 'I like Josh. Josh is great. But he's a wholly owned subsidiary of McConnell World.
'And there's no way you can tell me that this was all a coincidence.'
Rumors have swirled about the pair in recent weeks, with Trump (left) reportedly being angry the popular Florida governor Ron DeSantis (right) hasn't said that he won't challenge him for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination
Donald Trump's advisers have claimed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (pictured) is responsible for ramping up stories of a feud between the former President and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Trump and DeSantis are among the most popular Republican figures in the country, and with Trump eyeing another presidential run in 2024, many political pundits believe he is irritated by DeSantis' interest in running against him and his growing popularity.
The adviser added: 'Also, DeSantis and his staff knew what they were doing. How many Florida general election voters are listening to the Ruthless podcast?
'Now, that said, they might have been hoping for more out of Ron, because, let's face it, he didn't really criticize Trump. But they knew the media would instantly jump on it and wish-cast it into existence.'
The adviser claimed McConnell sees DeSantis as a 'lesser of two evils' and a way to irritate Trump.
Just days before DeSantis' appearance on the podcast, Trump had torn into politicians - DeSantis included - who will not say whether they have had their COVID vaccine or booster, deeming them 'gutless'.
A Republican who spoke anonymously said: 'DeSantis doing a Josh Holmes podcast to thump Trump is not what I had on my bingo card. This is a thing.'
An adviser added: 'DeSantis is definitely asserting his independence. And yeah, it's hard not to see the hand of McConnell in all this. Who benefits from a Trump-DeSantis feud? The Democrats. The media. And McConnell.'
Another said: 'There are no coincidences.'
The pair are among the most popular Republican figures in the country, and with Trump eyeing another presidential run in 2024, many political pundits believe he is irritated by DeSantis' interest in running against him and his growing popularity
Holmes denied any negative intent toward Trump and said the suggestion that he had coordinated with McConnell was 'insane'.
An anti-Trump Republican strategist told Fox News that they did not believe that McConnell was moving against Trump.
Sarah Longwell said: 'I'm sure Josh Holmes would like you to believe that Mitch McConnell is behind the scenes, moving pieces against Trump.
'But I don't think that's it. I think that McConnell is wholly owned by Trump.'
The advisers' claims that McConnell is behind the tension comes after sources close to Trump who have recently talked to him about DeSantis said Trump has grown increasingly irked by DeSantis in recent months, with Trump beginning to voice his frustrations to those in his inner circle.
'In the context of the 2024 election, he usually gives DeSantis a pop in the nose in the middle of that type of conversation,' said a source who recently spoke to Trump about DeSantis.
'He says DeSantis has no personal charisma and has a dull personality,' the source told Axios.
Many political pundits believe Trump is irritated by DeSantis' interest in running against him and his growing
