Trump, DeSantis trade barbs as 2024 campaign acrimony grows

FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speak at midterm election rallies, in Dayton, Ohio, U.S. November 7, 2022 and Tampa, Florida, U.S., November 8, 2022 in a combination of file photos. REUTERS/Gaelen Morse, Marco Bello/File Photo

(Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis traded barbs on Thursday over who could most quickly fix the economy and reform government agencies as the battle between the top two Republican contenders grew increasingly acrimonious.

Trump, who currently holds a large lead over DeSantis in a distant second in polls on the 2024 Republican nomination, also took critical shots at other candidates lower down in the rankings, suggesting they exit the party's primary.