Gov. Ron DeSantis hit the marketing campaign path Tuesday in Iowa together with his latest and strongest ally within the state: Gov. Kim Reynolds.
Ms. Reynolds, who endorsed Mr. DeSantis on Monday, labored the room at a marketing campaign cease in Davenport and took pictures with voters earlier than taking the stage to bathe reward on her choose for the GOP presidential race.
“We need a president who is focused on the future and not the past, and we need a president who puts Americans and America first,” Ms. Reynolds stated in a thinly veiled jab in opposition to former President Donald Trump.
Ms. Reynolds is immensely well-liked in Iowa, and her choice to toss her assist behind Mr. DeSantis and actively marketing campaign for him will function the most important check within the state of whether or not endorsements matter within the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses.
Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Reynolds have scored main wins for the conservative motion and led their state events to main success on the poll field, at the same time as Republicans faltered elsewhere.
Mr. DeSantis is hoping Ms. Reynolds will assist him consolidate the anybody-but-Trump voters within the state and energy him to a stronger than anticipated displaying that might cement his standing because the true Trump various within the battle for the Republican presidential nomination.
On Tuesday, Mr. DeSantis took just a few swipes on the frontrunner, noting that earlier than the ex-president’s political rise, Mr. Trump donated to Democrats, together with Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom.
Mr. DeSantis additionally stated it’s clear that Mr. Trump, if elected, won’t go after the “medical swamp” in Washington that fumbled the response to COVID that ruined lives.
Mr. DeSantis stated Mr. Trump nonetheless says he “did everything right” — together with elevating Anthony Fauci, the previous director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, and giving him an award for his actions as an alternative of firing him.
“He doesn’t have any interest in dealing and holding people accountable because he thinks it would reflect poorly on him,” Mr. DeSantis stated. “I will do it.”
Mr. Trump has spent months ridiculing and attacking Mr. DeSantis, labeling him a stiff, bestowing him with the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious,” and mocking his ballot numbers.
Mr. Trump has additionally attacked Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Reynolds for not falling in line behind his marketing campaign whereas taking credit score for the electoral success they’ve had of their residence states.
“Why would anybody endorse Ron DeSanctimonious, who is like a wounded bird falling from the sky?” Mr. Trump stated on his social media platform Truth Social.
In a joint NBC interview with Ms. Reynolds on Monday, Mr. DeSantis stated Mr. Trump places loyalty to his whims and needs over the whole lot else.
“With Donald Trump, if you don’t kiss the ring, you could be the best governor ever, and he’ll trash you,” Mr. DeSantis stated. “You could be a terrible corrupt politician, but if you kiss his ring, he’ll praise you.”
Correction: A earlier model of this story misspelled Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds‘ title within the headline.
