Reynolds Takes Swipe At President Trump As She Endorses DeSantis

On Monday, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds officially endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination for President.

Iowa Gov. Reynolds Endorses DeSantis: Trump Can't Win In 2024 https://t.co/nStrA7v80O

— RCP Video (@rcpvideo) November 7, 2023

In a joint interview with DeSantis, Reynolds said she doesn’t believe President Trump can win the election, which is why she endorsed DeSantis.

BREAKING: Iowa Gov Kim Reynolds formally endorsed Gov Ron Desantis, telling me in their first intv together that “Trump can’t win” and she doesn’t base her decisions on polls but on “who is the right for the job.”

She plans to hit the trail for him hard.https://t.co/ZLs8cRfEpa

— Dasha Burns (@DashaBurns) November 6, 2023

From NBC News:

“I believe he can’t win,” Reynolds said of Trump, “and I believe that Ron can.

“And that’s a big reason I got behind him,” Reynolds said in a joint interview with DeSantis.

Reynolds, who is in her second term, had said she would stay neutral in the Republican primary race, though she appeared with DeSantis at least eight times since he announced his candidacy in late May. But she is breaking with local tradition to throw her support behind DeSantis as he tries to consolidate non-Trump Republicans and close the polling gap with the former president in Iowa and other states.

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"It's not just a symbolic endorsement,” reports NBC’s @DashaBurns.

Gov. @KimReynoldsIA is “planning to campaign with @RonDeSantis” and “put the entire weight of her operation behind him. So we’re going to see her actually hitting the trail.” pic.twitter.com/nvwtDvSENd

— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) November 7, 2023

“This one’s obviously very meaningful, because Kim has proven to be a great leader that Iowans love,” DeSantis said of Reynolds’ support, recounting the enthusiasm he hears from Iowans for their governor as he campaigns across the state.

“I mean, any time I mention her name out there, they cheer, and it’s because of what she’s been able to accomplish as governor,” he added.

Reynolds said that the last time the two had a conversation, Trump sought her endorsement, which she withheld. She said her decision to get behind Trump’s chief rival so far this year wasn’t spurred by Trump’s insults.

DeSantis said: “It’s almost like with Donald Trump, if you don’t kiss the ring — you can be the best governor ever and he’ll trash you. You can be a terrible, corrupt politician. But if you kiss his ring, then all of a sudden he’ll praise you.

“With Donald Trump if you don’t kiss the ring, you could be the best governor ever and he’ll trash you. You could be a terrible, corrupt politician, but if you kiss his ring, then all of a sudden he’ll praise you.”

— @RonDeSantis on Trump’s attacks on Gov. @KimReynoldsIA pic.twitter.com/hVNV9bXorE

— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) November 6, 2023

“I’ve had people come to me and say they endorsed him because of the threats and everything like that,” DeSantis added. But, he said, “if you can look in the mirror and say you did what was right for the right reasons, then let the chips fall where they may.”

President Trump responded to the endorsement in a post on Truth Social and took a jab at both DeSantis and the “disloyal” Reynolds.

“Why would anybody endorse Ron DeSanctimonious, who is like a wounded bird falling from the sky?” Trump wrote on Monday evening. “His Poll numbers are terrible, he is totally against Ethanol, and fought to destroy Social Security and Medicare.”

“Well, the “Nation’s most unpopular governor,” Kim Reynolds of Iowa, just endorsed him. What’s that all about?” he added.