Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday he would consider Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds as a possible vice president pick.
DeSantis was quick to praise Reynolds throughout his two-day Iowa swing, drawing frequent comparisons between her leadership in Iowa and his tenure in Florida.
That’s not a new strategy for the DeSantis campaign — but it took on new weight this weekend, as frontrunner Donald Trump on Monday attacked Reynolds for her decision to remain neutral in the caucuses.
When asked at an Ankeny event whether Reynolds would be a contender for his running mate, DeSantis said, “of course.”
“She’s one of the top public servants in America,” DeSantis told reporters. “I thought the attacks on her were totally, totally out of hand and totally unnecessary.”
Reynolds told the Des Moines Register in February she wouldn’t be interested in being anyone’s vice presidential pick.
“I love what we’re doing here in Iowa, and hopefully, I continue to make it pretty clear we’re not done,” Reynolds said. “So I’m going to continue to ask and encourage candidates to come to Iowa, highlight what we’re doing here in the state and look for ways that we can continue to keep our national profile rising.”
Brianne Pfannenstiel contributed reporting.
Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at[email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.