Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis picked up a key endorsement on Monday from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds—a much-needed boost that could help him in the Iowa caucuses.
“I just felt like I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer,” Reynolds said during an NBC News interview. “We have too much at stake. I truly believe that he is the right person to get this country back on track.”
Later, the two appeared at a campaign rally in Des Moines, where she praised DeSantis as someone who would put the country ahead of himself.
“Not only do we need to make sure we can elect someone who can win and beat Joe Biden, we need a president who has the skill and the resolve to reverse the madness that we see every single day,” Reynolds said. “We need someone who will fight for you and win for you. We need someone who won’t get distracted but will stay disciplined who puts this country first and not himself. That leader… that leader… that leader is Ron DeSantis.”
Before the endorsement, Mr. Trump repeatedly criticized Ms. Reynolds, who had joined Mr. DeSantis at campaign events around Iowa, for her perceived disloyalty. Those personal attacks had outraged the Iowa governor. She had previously said she would stay neutral during the caucuses, as is traditional for sitting governors in the state.
Mr. Trump, meanwhile, spent Monday testifying in a civil fraud trial that threatens his business empire in New York. It’s a contrast that is likely to become a running theme as the primary plays out, with Mr. Trump forced to spend time away from the campaign trail in order to deal with the four criminal indictments against him.
In Iowa, Mr. DeSantis is in need of a jolt. He has staked his campaign on winning the Jan. 15 caucuses, moving much of his staff to the state in a bid to stop Mr. Trump’s momentum. But his poll numbers there have slipped. He is now tied for second place with former Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina at 16 percent, far behind Mr. Trump at 43 percent, according to a Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom poll. Mr. DeSantis’s allies point out that the last three G.O.P. winners of the Iowa caucuses were also lagging at this stage of previous election cycles. (The New York Times)
We need someone who gets results. Someone who knows when life begins.
— Kim Reynolds (@KimReynoldsIA) November 7, 2023
Someone who looks to the future. Someone who can WIN!
That's @RonDesantis. And I’m proud to stand here tonight and give him my full support and endorsement for President of the United States! pic.twitter.com/Ojl5TPF7Yb
We need a leader who can WIN & delivers results up-and-down the ballot. @RonDeSantis has done it - rewriting the political map of Florida.
— Kim Reynolds (@KimReynoldsIA) November 7, 2023
It’s this kind of momentum we need to save our country! pic.twitter.com/mrfUIHwgOH
It is an honor to be endorsed by Iowa's great governor, @KimReynoldsIA.
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) November 7, 2023
Kim has led her state with strength and principle — and delivered big results. She knows how to win the tough fights needed to get things done.
Together, we will win Iowa. pic.twitter.com/kWRHkCwoHU
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