Former President Donald Trump lashed out at Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on social media Sunday, saying his impending support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would mark “the end of his political career.”
“If and when Kim Reynolds of Iowa supports Ron DeSanctimonious, who is absolutely dying in the polls in Iowa and across the country, it will be the end of her political career as far as MAGA will not support her never again, just like MAGA will never support DeSanctimonious. again,” Trump said, sparking a round of vituperative criticism. Truth about social posts. “The coming together of two extremely disloyal people is a beautiful thing to watch though. They can now stay loyal to each other because no one else wants them!!!”
Reynolds is set to officially support DeSantis at a rally Monday in Des Moinesaccording to sources close to the two governors.
More: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to endorse Ron DeSantis for president at Monday rally in Des Moines
It’s a major blow for DeSantis’ campaign, which hopes to signal to caucuses and donors that he is the leading alternative to Trump for the remainder of the presidential primary.
According to a October Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll, Trump leads among likely Republican caucus attendees, with 43% choosing him as their top choice. DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley are tied for second place with 16 percent.
It remains to be seen whether Reynolds can shake things up significantly in DeSantis’ favor. But she remains very popular among members of the Iowa Republican caucus, according to the Iowa Poll.
In August, the survey found that 81% viewed it favorably, of which 50% viewed it very favorably. 18% of them viewed it negatively and 1% were not sure.
In the October survey, which did not ask about Reynolds, 69% of likely GOP caucus attendees say they view DeSantis favorably and 26% view him unfavorably. Another 5% are unsure.
Trump is viewed favorably by 66% and unfavorably by 32% and only 1% are unsure.
Reynolds initially excluded from endorsing anyone before the Iowa Caucuses, saying she preferred to host the full slate of candidates in the state. But she opened the door to the possibility this summer, suggesting in interviews that she might enter the race.
Reynolds appeared on the campaign trail with every presidential candidate, including hosting most of them in a series of one-on-one conversations at the Iowa State Fair in August. But she seemed to form a strong relationship with DeSantis early on, introducing him to Iowans. during his first trip to the state in March and frequently appearing with him and his wife, Casey.
Their warm relationship angered Trump, who lashed out at Reynolds on his Truth Social platform, in interviews and on social media.
In another article from Truth Social On Sunday, Trump took credit for Reynolds’ 2018 election victory, saying he “opened the job for Reynolds” when he nominated then-Gov. Terry Branstad will become U.S. ambassador to China after his 2016 presidential victory. Reynolds, who was lieutenant governor at the time, succeeded Branstad and was elected in her own right in 2018 and again in 2022.
Reynolds faced a tight race against businessman Fred Hubbell in 2018, at times appearing to trail him in the polls, although she ultimately won by 3 percentage points.
Asset held a rally for Reynolds and other Republican candidates in Council Bluffs less than a month before the 2018 election. But polls showed that Iowans viewed Reynolds more favorably than Trump before the 2018 election.
A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll conducted between October 30 and November 30. December 2, 2018 showed that 54% of Iowans viewed Reynolds favorably and 41% viewed her unfavorably. Trump was viewed favorably by 45% of Iowans and unfavorably by 52%, according to the poll.
Trump also took credit for being “the sole reason” Iowa Republicans maintained their status as first in the nation in the party’s presidential nominating process.
Although national Democrats have fought to replace Iowa at the top of the presidential nomination calendar, there has been no such public effort among Republicans. But if Trump is re-elected, he will have considerable influence on the schedule as party leader.
“Despite all of this, Reynolds has remained neutral on approvals, and she is now the most unpopular governor in the United States, and Ron DeSanctimonious is second,” Trump said, referring to a new Morning Consult poll showing that Reynolds is the least popular governor in the United States among registered voters. “This is what happens when you’re disloyal to those who got you there!” »
More: ‘Without me, she wouldn’t be governor,’ Donald Trump says of Kim Reynolds, escalating fight
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the Register’s chief political reporter. Contact her at [email protected] or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.