Iowa governor officially endorses DeSantis at Des Moines rally

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) endorsed GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis at a rally in Des Moines on Monday night.

“But if we don’t get this next election right, if we don’t choose right, we are not going to get this country back,” Reynolds said at a rally for DeSantis in Des Moines. “So we have to do everything we can to make the right choice. Not only do we need to make sure that we elect someone who can win and beat Joe Biden, we need a president who has the skill and the resolve to reverse the madness that we see every single day.”

“We need someone who will fight for you and win for you. We need someone who won’t get distracted but will stay disciplined, who puts this country first and not himself. That leader, that leader, that leader is Ron DeSantis,” she continued.

NBC News first reported plans of the endorsement last week.

Reynolds credited DeSantis for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida as one of the reasons for her endorsement.

“When the liberals and media came after him, he stood his ground. When the Trump administration let Fauci lead their response, Ron had the courage to say, ‘Not in Florida,’” she said.

She also praised the Florida governor as “one of the most effective leaders” she has ever seen.

Reynolds had previously pledged to remain neutral in the 2024 Republican primary, but she has repeatedly been a target of former President Trump for doing so. She had previously appeared on the campaign trail with DeSantis and his wife, Casey, over the summer.

Ahead of the expected announcement, Trump took aim at the Iowa governor for being “disloyal.” He predicted that her decision to throw support against him would be “the end of her political career,” adding that “MAGA would never support her again.”