Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is defending Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds after former President Donald Trump attacked her for refusing to back him in the race for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
Trump touted his accomplishments in Iowa and took credit for Reynolds being elected governor in a Truth Social post assailing her for remaining "neutral" on Monday. The former president implied that Reynolds was secretly backing a losing candidate in DeSantis, writing that "DeSanctus" was still far behind him in polls.
While Reynolds has declined to endorse any candidate for the Republican nomination, she did appear at a "Mamas for DeSantis" event with Florida first lady Casey DeSantis last week. She has also expressed at least some support for Trump recently, denouncing his federal criminal indictment.
"I love Iowa," Trump wrote on Monday. "I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won. Now, she wants to remain 'NEUTRAL.' I don't invite her to events! DeSanctus down 45 points!"
DeSantis, possibly in response to Trump's post, praised Reynolds for her ability to "ignore the chirping" in a tweet hours later.
"[Reynolds] is a strong leader who knows how to ignore the chirping and get it done," DeSantis tweeted. "She earned a landslide re-election because she delivered big results, and she is poised to deliver even more for Iowans in the special session."
.@KimReynoldsIA is a strong leader who knows how to ignore the chirping and get it done. She earned a landslide re-election because she delivered big results, and she is poised to deliver even more for Iowans in the special session.
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) July 10, 2023
Newsweek reached out to the offices of Reynolds and Trump via email for comment on Monday.
Reynolds told The Des Moines Register earlier this year that she was remaining neutral in order to be able to effectively host Republicans campaigning ahead of the 2024 Iowa GOP caucus, saying that they might not "feel all that welcome" if she endorsed one candidate.
In addition to Reynolds, Trump has also repeatedly taken credit for the gubernatorial career of DeSantis, at one point arguing that the governor would be working "in a pizza parlor" if not for Trump's endorsement in 2018, when DeSantis was already serving as a U.S. representative.
The rivalry between Trump and DeSantis has become increasingly heated as the primary season grows closer. Trump frequently refers to his opponent and "Ron DeSanctimonious," bemoaning his lack of "loyalty" and recently declaring the governor's campaign "dead" and "heading to hell."
DeSantis, on the other hand, has been far more reluctant to directly attack the former president as his seeks to beat him to the nomination by appealing to the same GOP voter base.
The Florida governor has criticized Trump for failing to "drain the swamp," while his campaign has hit out at the ex-president for making statements seemingly in support of LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion, including some made before he launched his career as a Republican politician.
An alleged campaign ad that similarly attempts to attack Trump over previous pro-LGBTQ+ comments was recently criticized by conservative commentators in Iowa who argued that the tactic "won't fly" in their state.
