While the media has already pronounced Trump the GOP nominee, many Republicans are still waiting to make their voices heard.
The official votes have yet to be cast by real voters.
And now Florida Governor Ron DeSantis just got a huge boost from this endorsement for President.
Iowa Governor endorses DeSantis
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has been a long-time Trump ally throughout his time in the White House.
But now, she says that while she still appreciates his many accomplishments, it’s time for someone else to take the reins.
Reyolds told the Des Moines Register that she is now officially endorsing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for President, because the country is at an “unprecedented” moment.
Ahead of a recent rally at her home in Des Moines, Reynolds sat next to DeSantis to discuss the upcoming election.
She said, “We are living in unprecedented times, and this country is in trouble. I cannot believe how it has declined just over the short time under President Biden. And we’re resilient. We’ll be able to come back from this. But if we don’t win this next election, we’re done.”
As for Donald Trump, Reynolds said bluntly, “I don’t think he can win.”
However, the Governor firmly believes that Ron DeSantis is “the candidate that can win.”
She continued, “And we also not only need somebody that can win, but we need somebody that has the skill and the resolve, which he clearly does, to reverse the madness that we see happening across this country.”
Trump is still in the lead according to the latest Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll, with around 43% support among likely Republican voters, while DeSantis is currently tied for second place with Nikki Haley at 16%.
However, Reynolds stated that she believes DeSantis can win the Iowa caucuses despite the poll numbers.
She claims that DeSantis is “moving the needle” and that she is here to “tell his story – to make sure people look at the record and know what he’s done and why I believe that he’s the right person for this job, the right person at the right time.”
DeSantis appreciated the endorsement, saying that almost every person who comes to the Jan. 15 caucus knows and respects Reynolds and her leadership.
A powerful endorsement
The endorsement from Governor Reynolds is a crucial one, particularly since an August poll found that 81% of likely Republican caucus goers in Iowa viewed her favorably, which includes 50% of respondents who view her very favorably.
When asked about the endorsement, DeSantis said, “She’s the best surrogate you have in the state, of course.”
He also said that he firmly believes states like Florida and Iowa are excellent representatives of the Republican party.
“It’s meaningful to me because this is really the model, I think that the Republican Party can use to succeed going forward. What Kim’s done here, what we’ve done in Florida, Brian Kemp in Georgia – these are states that used to be viewed as very competitive, and we’ve been able to win really, really big victories.”
Trump has spoken about the recent endorsement on social media, calling Reynolds “disloyal” and saying that her endorsement of DeSantis is “the end of her political career.”
Regardless of what Donald Trump thinks, only time will tell how the endorsement from Reynolds will affect DeSantis’ chances of becoming the official party nominee.
Informed American will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
