TRUMP is envious, fearful, and obsessed with DESANTIS.
My read of it from the beginning is that Trump is being as loud and forceful as possible in order to scare off the people encouraging and supporting DeSantis, not DeSantis per se.
The problem he's having with this strategy is not just that DeSantis is the best governor in America right now, but also that Trump needs the support of people who like DeSantis as well as the people who are supporting DeSantis' potential run for office in order to be successful in the general election (because this isn't a repeat of 2016, party support is going to be needed in the general). Going scorched earth, which I believe is the only way he knows how to go, either steels their spirits or turns them off to him entirely. It's a very narrow path for success.
“You’d think Donald Trump would at least try a little subtlety when it comes to who terrifies...”
Territies??? Really???
And you should try a little subtlety with your Trump-hate in your choice of adjectives when it comes to Trump. Trump is not terrified of DeSantis, he just knows that certain people like you can’t see how DeSantis parrots what he says; DeSantis has even been caught mimicking Trump’s hand gestures.