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National

Donald Trump is trashing Ron DeSantis in private as an ingrate with a "dull personality" and no realistic chance of beating him in a potential 2024 showdown, according to sources who've recently talked to the former president about the Florida governor.

Why it matters: The two are among the most popular Republicans in the country, and as the former president eyes another run in 2024, he's irked by DeSantis' popularity and refusal to rule out running against him.

DeSantis is a favorite of Republican voters when pollsters remove Trump from the hypothetical 2024 field.

The governor also hasn't been beyond tweaking his fellow Floridian.

DeSantis said on the "Ruthless" podcast, recorded Thursday, one of his biggest regrets in office was not speaking out "much louder" in March 2020, when Trump advised the American public to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Behind the scenes: "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.

The source, who shared the private remarks on the condition of anonymity, has heard Trump criticize DeSantis on multiple occasions.

The source said Trump makes a point of saying he isn't worried about the Florida governor as a potential 2024 rival.

"He says DeSantis has no personal charisma and has a dull personality," the source added.

A spokesman for Trump did not comment when presented with this reporting.

A second source who's discussed DeSantis with Trump said the reason for the former president's irritation with the popular governor is "that Ron DeSantis won't say he won't run [in 2024]. ... The others have stated pretty clearly they won't challenge him."

DeSantis also did not respond to a request for comment.

Between the lines: Several potential 2024 GOP contenders have either ruled out running if Trump does — as his former UN ambassador, Nikki Haley, did — or said they would support Trump if he runs.

That's been the case for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).

Trump has kept a close eye on these statements. He's noticed that two potential rivals in particular have declined to rule out running: DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence.

Trump seems less bothered by Pence than DeSantis. He's told advisers he thinks Pence's future in GOP politics is over after he abided by the Constitution and refused Trump's request to send electors back to the states on Jan. 6, 2021.

Other potential rivals who haven't ruled out challenging Trump include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).

The second source said that in Trump's view, "there's no way" DeSantis would be governor without Trump's endorsement.

The former president also's said something to the effect of: "What's the big deal? Why won't he just say he's not going to run against me?"

The New York Times' Maggie Haberman reported recently that "Trump has been telling a range of aides a version of, he isn't getting the deference from DeSantis that he wants in the pre-2024 leadup."

Trump's private irritation about what he perceives as DeSantis' ungratefulness and willingness to defy him date back several years. Their disputes have ranged over matters as varied as closing beaches during the early days of the pandemic and a public clash over hurricane death statistics — as the Washington Post's Ben Terris and Josh Dawsey detailed in a 2020 story.

DeSantis claimed on the "Ruthless" podcast last week that the reports of tensions between him and Trump were a media invention. In the same conversation, he again sidestepped a question about his strength as a potential GOP presidential nominee in 2024.

What we're seeing: Trump's frustrations with DeSantis have been bleeding into his public statements, though he's refrained — so far — from attacking the popular governor by name.

During a recent OAN interview, the former president said he'd watched interviews with "gutless" politicians who refuse to say whether they've had a booster shot. "You gotta say it — whether you had it or not," Trump said. "Say it."

As Mediaite noted, DeSantis "has refused to say whether he has received the booster shot. 'I've done whatever I did,' he said in December when asked if he'd been boosted. 'The normal shot.'"

Trump dogs "dull" DeSantis ahead of potential 2024 matchup

The former president is irked by the Florida governor's popularity and refusal to rule out running against him.

An illustration shows a hand drawing Z's near Gov. Ron DeSantis' mouth.

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Ron DeSantis

Elections 2024

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

Tennis star Novak Djokovic left Australia on Sunday evening, facing a three-year visa ban after an appeals court in the country revoked his visa.

Driving the news: Djokovic will not be able to defend his Australian Open title when the tournament starts in Melbourne. The World No. 1 is looking to break a three-way tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most Grand Slam men's singles titles. 

The big picture: Djokovic's visa was revoked twice by Australian officials, who labeled the 34-year-old a public health threat.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke said in a statement that he exercised his power to cancel Djokovic's visa "on health and good order grounds, on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so." 

A lawyer for Djokovic asked a court for an injunction preventing his removal from Australia.

What he's saying: Djokovic in a statement Sunday said he was "extremely disappointed with the Court ruling[.]"

"I respect the Court’s ruling and I will cooperate with the relevant authorities in relation to my departure from the country.

"I am uncomfortable that the focus of the past weeks has been on me and I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love. I would like to wish the players, tournament officials, staff, volunteers and fans all the best for the tournament."

Djokovic said he will "rest and to recuperate" before making any more comments.

Catch up quick: Djokovic earlier this month announced that he was traveling to Australia with a medical exemption because he tested positive for COVID in December. 

Upon arriving in Melbourne for the tournament, and after eight hours of airport detention, Djokovic's visa was cancelled by border agents due to his travel application and vaccination status. 

Days later, Djokovic's visa was reinstated on appeal after arguing that his positive test in December superseded the country's vaccination requirement.

Then, on Friday, officials revoked Djokovic's visa for a second time, prompting the visa appeal.

Novak Djokovic loses Australian visa appeal

Djokovic's visa was revoked twice by Australian officials.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand during a practice session ahead of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 14, 2022

Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand during a practice session ahead of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Jan. 14. Photo: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Australia

Shifts in technology and media are changing the way we play, watch and understand sports. Business models are adapting and social change is forcing those in charge of teams and leagues to reconsider decades-old practices.

Sports

As Omicron continues to spread, schools across the U.S. are struggling with teacher shortages that have forced them to consolidate classes and lean on administrative staff to fill in as substitutes.

Why it matters: School closures and virtual classes can do lasting damage to kids' academic achievement — but so can some of the accommodations schools have had to make in order to stay open.

"If staff is out and you're just farming fifth-graders into a first-grade classroom, is that learning or is that babysitting?" asks John Coneglio, president of the Columbus Education Association teachers union.

"How long can we sustain this? We already have people leaving their jobs," said Kelly Wilson, president of Minnesota's Osseo Local #1212 teachers union.

What's happening: COVID has forced schools to shutter this month across America, often on a building-by-building basis as districts deal with mounting absences on the fly.

Chicago has been a focal point for this battle as the city's teachers union stayed home, cancelling days of classes over what it believes are unsafe work conditions.

Where schools have attempted to stay open, teachers are in short supply. Columbus City Schools was 124 substitute teachers short of its goal of 740 during the first week of January, according to district spokesperson Jacqueline Bryant.

How they're coping: In the Washington, D.C., area, like many school districts around the country, teachers often have to add students into their classrooms or miss their planning periods to teach other classes.

In Philadelphia and the Twin Cities, administrative and support staff have been forced to step into the breach as classroom fill-ins.

The impact: One Denver-area high school senior said that it's "back to the whole 2020 [thing]." He added that virtual class felt like "just hearing the teacher talk and their face and their voice" for the entire period.

The big picture: None of these issues taking teachers to the brink are new, but COVID has just made them worse, as Axios' Erica Pandey reported.

"It's a problem that existed pre-pandemic, it has been exacerbated by the pandemic, and the teacher shortage will not disappear with the pandemic," said Michael Rice, Michigan's state superintendent of public instruction.

The bottom line: Schools across America are trying to stay open, but it's still anyone's guess how effective that strategy will ultimately be — for everyone involved.

Editor's note: This piece has been updated to clarify that Columbus City Schools was short of its goal for substitute teachers, not teachers generally.

Axios' Taylor Allen, Alayna Alvarez, Monica Eng, Nick Halter, Paige Hopkins and Alissa Widman Neese contributed to this report.

Sign up for Axios Local, now publishing daily newsletters in 14 cities across the U.S. with 11 more coming later this year.

America struggles to keep schools open

Education

Coronavirus

The U.S. health system faces critical questions about cost, access and equity. Technological advances and new discoveries about diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s are transforming patient care and reshaping public health.

Health

Data: The New Normal; Google Trends; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios 

As the pandemic enters its third year, some of America's COVID-era shopping habits — including strong demand for tequila and sweatpants — are here to stay.

Driving the news: Axios worked with Google Trends and the Schema Design firm to create The New Normal, which analyzes the products Americans have Googled since 2020. Items with a lasting increase in search interest help fill in the details of what our "new normal" looks like.

We have had to stock home offices for the long haul, leading to more searches for computer accessories, fax machines, scanners, computer monitors and printers. 

Beauty and self-care products seem to becoming more mainstream after a stressful few years. We are googling more often for nails, skin care, hair care, massages and loungewear.

With more flexible time at home, we have been searching for items associated with home improvement and car upkeep: car parts, power tools, home and garden organization and decor. 

We were forced to explore new activities to keep ourselves entertained while paying heed to CDC recommendations. 

A surge of interest in roller skates, disc golf and card games seems to be sticking for now.  So does cocktail making, with "tequila," "spirits" and "liquor" landing in the "new normal" category.

Another group of search terms saw big spikes in reactions to specific moments in the pandemic, but then cooled off.

Those include the 2020 toilet paper shortage, and the time then-President Trump dangerously suggested injecting bleach to fight COVID. 

And the pandemic had little effect on search volumes for many everyday products, like eggs, dog food, coffee and salt.

What they're saying: "Trends data really gives us an honest insight into what people care about — and how our lives have shifted during the pandemic," Google Trends' Simon Rogers told Axios. 

Out of 5,000 different topics initially analyzed, "the outcome is a showcase of the top 300 keywords that did end up exhibiting a clear pattern due to the pandemic—a window into the ways in which our lives have changed,” Schema's Christian Marc Schmidt said.

Go deeper: Explore The New Normal project here.

Editor's note: This story originally ran on Jan. 12.

The new normal: Google searches reveal America's COVID shopping habits

Searches for home improvement tools and home office supplies have risen — and stayed there.

COVID-19

Social Media

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) signed 11 executive orders following his swearing-in ceremony on Saturday, including those that overturn Virginia's mask mandate for public schools and a COVID vaccination requirement for state workers.

Driving the news: Youngkin also signed an order that bans the teaching of critical race theory, a major focus of the 2021 campaign.

Another one of the orders effectively withdraws the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a program with neighboring states intended to reduce carbon pollution.

Of note: Many of these moves could face legal challenges as well as pushback from state lawmakers.

What they're saying: White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Sunday responded to Youngkin, who made speaking up for parents against pandemic measures a key part of his election campaign.

"Hi there. Arlington county parent here (don’t believe you are @GlennYoungkin but correct me if I am wrong)," Psaki tweeted. 

"Thank you to @APSVirginia [Arlington Public Schools] for standing up for our kids, teachers and administrators and their safety in the midst of a transmissible variant," she added.

Go deeper: Glenn Youngkin's play: Forever- and Never-Trumpers

Editor's note: This article has been updated with Psaki's comment.

Youngkin ends mandates for masks in schools and COVID vaccinations for state workers

The GOP governor signed 11 executive orders following his swearing in ceremony earlier on Saturday.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin gives the inaugural address after being sworn in as the 74th governor of Virginia on the steps of the State Capitol on January 15, 2022 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin gives the inaugural address after being sworn in on Jan. 15. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Axios

Sunday's top stories

Trump dogs "dull" DeSantis ahead of potential 2024 matchup

Novak Djokovic loses Australian visa appeal

America struggles to keep schools open

The new normal: Google searches reveal America's COVID shopping habits

Youngkin ends mandates for masks in schools and COVID vaccinations for state workers

The beauty business turns to augmented reality

Earth's climate went off the rails in 2021, reports show

Concerns grow over CDC's isolation guidelines

Biden boxed in on Ukraine