Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) was seen alongside Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) at the tailgate outside the Iowa-Iowa State football game on Saturday as other Republican presidential candidates also attended the event.
DeSantis met with fans of both the University of Iowa and Iowa State University at the tailgate prior to the game, alongside the governor of the Hawkeye State, per the Associated Press. The two red-state governors were also seen seated together at the football game.
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“We’re having a good time,” DeSantis told reporters at the tailgate, per the Associated Press. “It’s quite an atmosphere, probably a little bit more civilized than the Florida-Georgia game.”
While Reynolds has not endorsed any candidate in the 2024 Republican presidential primary and has vowed neutrality, she has frequently appeared alongside DeSantis.
The two influential Republican governors appearing together comes less than a day after Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) endorsed former President Donald Trump. Noem’s endorsement of Trump has led to speculation she could be a potential running mate if the former president gets the GOP nomination. When asked, DeSantis has said he would “of course” consider Reynolds as a running mate if he gets the Republican nomination.
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Several other Republican presidential candidates, including Trump and Gov. Doug Bergum (R-ND), were at the game, with the former president being spotted flipping burgers at the tailgate and receiving a mixed reception at the game.
The Iowa-Iowa State game comes while reports suggest Trump’s staff is concerned about his campaign lagging behind his competitors, like DeSantis, in the Hawkeye State. The former president is the current front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average, and is far ahead of other GOP candidates, including DeSantis, by nearly 40%.
