Des Moines, Iowa - Donald Trump is facing backlash from Ron DeSantis and other Republican presidential candidates after he praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a recent social media post.

In a post on Truth Social shared on Friday, Trump wrote, "Congratulations to Kim Jung Un!" with an attached link to an article highlighting Kim's election to the World Health Organization's executive board.

The next day, DeSantis bashed Trump at the Roast and Ride event in Des Moines, Iowa, hosted by Senator Joni Ernst.

The Florida governor said he was "surprised" by the post, calling Kim a "murderous dictator." He continued on to say the WHO is a "bankrupt organization" and said the US should be working to get out of it.

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Trump was also bashed by former Vice President Mike Pence, who is reportedly gearing up to announce his own 2024 presidential bid.

"Whether it's my former running mate or anyone else, nobody should be praising the dictator in North Korea or praising the leader in Russia, who has launched an unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine," Pence told Fox News.

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley echoed the sentiment, saying, "Kim Jong Un is a thug and a tyrant, and he has tested ballistic missiles against our allies," per NBC News.

Trump's post comes after he bragged about how he and Kim Jong Un were "soon to become" friends in a bizarre attack aimed at DeSantis.

DeSantis is seen as the former president's biggest competition among the 2024 Republican candidates.

However, Trump has managed to win endorsements from House Republicans over the governor in his home state of Florida.