Iowa Gov Kim Reynolds endorses Ron DeSantis for president, says she doesn’t think Trump can win in 2024
Reynolds says Florida governor can ‘reverse the madness that we see every single day’
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is throwing her support behind Ron DeSantis for the Republican presidential nomination, telling a crowd in Des Moines to "make the right choice" and "elect someone who can win and beat Joe Biden."
Reynolds, speaking at a DeSantis rally ahead of the Jan. 15 caucuses, introduced the Florida governor by saying that "we can turn this country around" but "if we don't get this next election right, if we don't choose right, we are not going to get this country back.
"So we have to do everything we can to make the right choice," she continued. "Not only do we need to make sure that we elect someone who can win and beat Joe Biden, we need a president who has a skill and a resolve to reverse the madness that we see every single day."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Reynolds hailed DeSantis’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida – a state that went against headwinds and kept schools and other businesses open with minimal restrictions – saying that "when the liberals and media came after him, he stood his ground.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, second from left, joins Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on stage during a rally, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP/Bryon Houlgrave)
"When the Trump administration let [Anthony] Fauci lead their response, Ron had the courage to say, ‘not in Florida,’" Reynolds added, taking an apparent swipe at the former Trump White House.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prior to the rally, the Des Moines Register reported that when asked about current Republican front-runner former President Trump’s chances of being re-elected, she said "I don’t think he can win."
Reynolds also highlighted DeSantis’ disaster response record and pro-life stance to his supporters at the rally Monday night, adding that the 45-year-old is "Someone who calls out our moral decline for what it is."
"And it is why I am so proud to stand here tonight and give him my full support and endorsement for President of the United States of America," she said, drawing a raucous applause.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the rally on Monday night. (AP/Bryon Houlgrave)
DeSantis, later taking the podium and thanking Reynolds for the endorsement, described her as "one of the greatest governors in the United States" who "stands for the conservative values that we all believe in."
Reynolds and DeSantis teamed up on Tuesday - for a second day of campaigning - at an event in Davenport, in the eastern part of the Hawkeye State. Iowa plays a crucial role in the race for the White House, as its caucuses for half a century have led off the GOP presidential nominating calendar.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News has confirmed that Reynolds will also join DeSantis on Wednesday in Miami, Florida, ahead of the third Republican presidential primary debate.
Trump has ripped Reynolds for the endorsement, writing on his Truth Social account over the weekend that "If and when Kim Reynolds of Iowa endorses Ron DeSanctimonious, who is absolutely dying in the polls both in Iowa and Nationwide, it will be the end of her political career in that MAGA would never support her again, just as MAGA will never support DeSanctimonious again."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Two extremely disloyal people getting together is, however, a very beautiful thing to watch," he wrote. "They can now remain loyal to each other because nobody else wants them!!!"
Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.