Nicola Sturgeon has insisted Douglas "lacks any credibility" after he backed Boris Johnson to remain as Prime Minister.
The First Minister called out the Scottish Conservative leader for going back on his calls for Johnson to resign over the partygate scandal.
Ross was one of the first MPs to call for the PM to quit after Johnson finally admitted attending a bash in Downing Street during lockdown in 2020.
But the Scottish Tory leader later reversed his calls ahead of the Scottish Tory party conference in March - saying Johnson should remain in post due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
During an interview on BBC Breakfast today Ross said Scots want to talk about the cost of living crisis instead of another Scottish independence referendum.
He said: "I was speaking to people in Aberdeenshire and Angus yesterday, while I was out campaigning, who cannot believe that Nicola Sturgeon still wants to hold an independence referendum as early as next year.
"They also know that the SNP Nicola Sturgeon are speaking about this because they've got no plans for local councils or for Scotland because they are a tired failing government after a decade and a half in office."
Sturgeon was then asked about Ross's comments on BBC Breakfast.
She replied: "Douglas Ross is somebody who completely lacks any credibility right now.
"He called for Boris Johnson to resign, rightly, when all the party gate revelations came to the fore and now meekly has been allowed himself to be hauled into line and is now saying Boris Johnson is the right person to be Prime Minister.
"So I'm not sure many people in Scotland will be taking Douglas Ross's comments on these things very seriously."
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