Polls show Donald Trump is still considered the leader of the Republican Party.
Not everyone wants that to remain the case.
And a top Republican turned down Donald Trump after he made this request.
Iowa’s popular Republican Governor broke the tradition of top statewide officials not wading into the Iowa Caucus by endorsing Ron DeSantis for President.
Governors and Senators in the Hawkeye State don’t normally endorse candidates for President.
This is because they want all candidates to believe they have a fair shot at winning so that they campaign – and most importantly – spend money in Iowa in the run up to the Caucus.
Reynolds bucked the custom to give DeSantis’ floundering campaign – which bet everything on winning Iowa – a shot in the arm.
“I just felt like I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer,” Reynolds said in a sit down interview alongside DeSantis with NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns. “We have too much at stake. I truly believe that he is the right person to get this country back on track.”
Burns asked Reynolds why she endorsed DeSantis when he trailed Trump by more than 30 points in the polls.
Reynolds claimed her endorsement was based on who she thought was the best candidate for the job.
“I don’t base my decision on polls. I take a look at who I believe is the right person for the right job. I believe that Ron is the right person for the right job. And I believe he’s going to win,” Reynolds stated.
Reynolds also falsely claimed that Trump couldn’t win the election.
“Do you believe Trump can’t win?” Burns wondered.
“Yeah,” Reynolds shot back. “I believe he can’t win.”
Burns pressed Reynolds about the last time she spoke to Trump.
Reynolds said the last time she spoke to Trump was when he asked for her endorsement and she turned him down.
“Probably the last time he called to ask if I would endorse him, and I said I wasn’t at this point,” Reynolds said.
The Trump campaign’s response was two-fold.
Trump ridiculed Reynolds for endorsing DeSantis, whose poll numbers have fallen since entering the race in May.
“Why would anybody endorse Ron DeSanctimonious, who is like a wounded bird falling from the sky?” Trump posted on Truth Social. “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?”
The Trump campaign also released polling data showing that Reynolds’ endorsement would not move numbers.
Kim Reynolds To Endorse A Candidate Who Will Never Be President pic.twitter.com/HzyrAdJODv
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) November 5, 2023
DeSantis is clearly mounting a last stand in Iowa.
But will the Reynolds endorsement be enough to reset the trajectory of this race?
Patriot Political will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
