爱荷华州安肯尼-佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯周六表示，如果他赢得2024年共和党总统候选人提名，他会考虑爱荷华州州长金·雷诺兹作为潜在的竞选伙伴，并解雇了前总统唐纳德·特朗普她最近抱怨她“完全失控”
“当然，”当被问及是否会考虑第二任期的共和党人时，德桑蒂斯说。"我的意思是，她是美国最优秀的公务员之一."
特朗普上周批评了在该州共和党基础中非常受欢迎的雷诺兹，因为她与德桑蒂斯的关系似乎很亲密，同时声明她作为该州共和党领袖的公共中立性，该州将在不到六个月的时间里举行第一场总统预选。
雷诺兹曾与其他共和党白宫候选人一起出现，但主持了与德桑蒂斯和他的妻子凯西·德桑蒂斯的谈话，同时还参加了特朗普去年3月在爱荷华州的首次竞选活动。
德桑蒂斯指出，他和雷诺兹戏谑他们相似的记录，以及这两个州之间戏谑的竞争，今年保守政策在这两个州迅速发展。
值得注意的是，雷诺兹周五出现在德桑蒂斯和其他五人出席的总统候选人论坛上时，受到了持续的起立鼓掌，并在大约2000名基督教保守派观众面前签署了严格的堕胎禁令。
“任何试图诋毁她的共和党人都大错特错，”德桑蒂斯在为美国众议员扎克·纳恩(Zach Nunn)在得梅因郊区的一场筹款活动中担任主角后告诉记者。
在特朗普的社交媒体平台Truth Social上，这位前总统因向雷诺兹开放州长职位而受到好评，雷诺兹是在共和党州长特里·布兰斯塔德在特朗普政府期间成为美国驻华大使后接任这一职位的。
“现在，她想保持‘中立’。””特朗普写道，并补充说他不会邀请她参加他的竞选活动。
川普定于周二在爱荷华州与福克斯新闻频道频道主持人肖恩·哈尼蒂一起参加市政厅式的活动。
雷诺兹在2018年凭借自己的权利当选，并在去年轻松连任，被认为是2024年的潜在竞选伙伴，尽管爱荷华州共和党内部人士表示，这位前州参议员和农村县财政部长对这个角色持矛盾态度。
周五和周六在爱荷华州竞选的德桑蒂斯表示，选民向他表达了对特朗普批评雷诺兹的失望。
这引起了爱荷华州西部县共和党主席瑞安·弗雷德里克的共鸣，他周六早上在温特塞特的一家披萨店参加了约50名共和党活动人士的聚会。
倾向于支持德桑蒂斯的弗雷德里克说，“至少，我不用担心他诋毁金·雷诺兹。”
“如果你是一个党的忠诚者，这是一件大事，”弗雷德里克补充说。
周六晚些时候，在田纳西州，德桑蒂斯面对沉默的观众，他吹嘘自己作为州长的成就，并承诺如果他当选总统，将为美国提供一个“新的开始”。共和党高层领导人，如州长比尔·李，美国参议员比尔·哈格蒂和玛莎·布莱克本，在该州共和党的年度筹款活动中明显缺席-尽管这三个人都出现在活动的视频中-因为德桑蒂斯只吸引了田纳西州共和党领导人的温和掌声，这些领导人基本上已经承诺效忠特朗普。
然而，德桑蒂斯获得了部分起立鼓掌，称赞他的政府决定禁止在所有年级的课堂上讲授性取向和性别认同，并让家长更容易质疑学校图书馆的书籍。
“当涉及到我们的孩子时，我们必须划清界限，”他说。
德桑蒂斯还提到了他与迪士尼的长期不和，后者反对州长所谓的“不要说同性恋”法律。
“站在企业一边而不是自己的选民一边是不会赢的选举”他说。
DeSantis would consider Iowa's Reynolds as running mate, calls Trump's attack of her 'out of hand'
Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the Tennessee Republican Party Statesmen's Dinner, Saturday, July 15, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
The Associated Press
ANKENY, Iowa --Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday he would consider Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds as a potential running mate, should he win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and dismissed former PresidentDonald Trump’s recent complaints about her as “totally out of hand.”
“Of course,” DeSantis said when asked whether he would consider the second-term Republican. “I mean, she’s one of the top public servants in America.”
Trump last week criticized Reynolds, immensely popular among the state’s GOP base, for her seemingly cozy relationship with DeSantis while stating her public neutrality as the lead Republican figure in the state that hosts the lead-off presidential caucuses in less than six months.
Reynolds has appeared with other GOP White House prospects, but has moderated conversations with DeSantis and his wife Casey DeSantis, while also attending Trump’s first campaign event in Iowa last March.
DeSantis noted that he and Reynolds banter over their similar records, and the playful rivalry between the two states, where conservative policy has moved swiftly this year.
Notably, Reynolds was greeted with a sustained standing ovation when she appeared at a presidential candidate forum Friday, attended by DeSantis and five others, and signed a strict abortion ban before the audience of roughly 2,000 Christian conservatives.
“Anybody who is a Republican who is trying to denigrate her is way off base on that,” DeSantis told reporters, after headlining a fundraiser in suburban Des Moines for U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn.
On Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, the former president took credit for opening the governorship to Reynolds, who stepped into the role after Republican Gov. Terry Branstad became U.S. ambassador to China during the Trump administration.
“Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’" Trump wrote, adding he would not invite her to his campaign events.
Trump is scheduled to be in Iowa Tuesday to participate in a town hall-style event with Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity.
Reynolds, elected in her own right in 2018 and easily reelected last year, has been mentioned as a potential 2024 running mate, though Iowa GOP insiders have suggested the former state senator and rural county treasurer has been ambivalent about the role.
DeSantis, who campaigned in Iowa Friday and Saturday, said voters approached him to express dismay at Trump’s criticism of Reynolds.
It struck a chord with Ryan Frederick, a western Iowa county GOP chairman who attended a gathering of about 50 Republican activists at a pizza restaurant in Winterset Saturday morning.
Frederick, who is leaning toward supporting DeSantis said, “At least, I don’t have to worry about him trashing Kim Reynolds.”
“If you’re a party loyalist, that’s a big deal,” Frederick added.
Later Saturday in Tennessee, DeSantis faced a muted audience as he touted his accomplishments as governor and promised to offer the United States a “fresh start” should he be elected president. Top Republican leaders like Gov. Bill Lee, and U.S. Sens. Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn were noticeably absent during the state Republican party’s annual fundraiser — though all three did appear in videos for the event — as DeSantis attracted only mild applause from Tennessee GOP leaders that have largely already pledged their allegiance to Trump.
Yet DeSantis received a partial standing ovation when praising his administration’s decision to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades and making it easier for parents to challenge books in school libraries.
“We have to draw a line in the sand when it comes to our children,” he said.
DeSantis also referenced his ongoing feud with Disney, which opposed the governor’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law.
“Siding with corporations over your own constituency is not going to winelections,” he said.
