(NewsNation) — For months, former President Trump has levied scathing criticisms of Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who is widely expected to compete for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination.

In an interview with Piers Morgan, DeSantis returned fire, responding to Trump’s disparaging nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious.”

“You can call me whatever you want, I mean, just as long as you, you know, also call me a winner because that’s what we’ve been able to do in Florida is put a lot of points on the board and really take this state to the next level,” he said.

He also said he would’ve differed from Trump on things like his approach to COVID-19.

“I would’ve fired somebody like Fauci, I think he got way too big for his britches. And I think he did a lot of damage,” DeSantis noted, adding that he would also make sure he hired personnel who shared his agenda.

NewsNation’s Brian Entin noted during an appearance on “NewsNation: Rush Hour” that Trump continues to lead a potential matchup.

“Most polls right now do have Trump over DeSantis by a healthy margin, and it’s hard to believe but technically DeSantis still has not announced a run for president,” he said.

Trump will soon be hosting his first presidential rally of the season; thousands are expected to see him in Waco, Texas.