Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, said on Saturday he would consider Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds as his running mate as he slams former President Donald Trump’s recent complaints about her.
Asked if he would consider Reynolds a choice for vice president if he wins the GOP nomination, DeSantis replied, “Sure.”
“I mean, he’s one of the best public servants in America,” he told reporters at a fundraising event in Ankeny, Iowa.
DeSantis also dismissed Trump’s criticism of Reynolds: “I thought the attacks on her were totally, totally out of control and totally unnecessary.”
Asked to comment on DeSantis’ remarks, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said, “Ron DeSantis is totally out of control.”
Trump, who leads DeSantis by a wide margin in national polls, last week expressed frustration with Reynolds for refusing to endorse a candidate early in the GOP nomination race. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he suggested Reynolds supported DeSantis despite his vow to maintain a standard among Iowa governors to remain neutral throughout the closely watched swing state presidential primary.
“I opened up the governorship to Kim Reynolds, and when she fell behind, I APPROVED her, made big rallies, and she won,” Trump wrote.
“Now she wants to stay ‘NEUTRAL’. I’m not inviting her to events! DeSanctus is down 45 points!” he added, referring to DeSantis, his main rival for the party nomination.
The New York Times, citing people close to Reynolds and DeSantis, reported on July 8 that the two governors “forged a bond” during the height of the coronavirus pandemic and that one of Reynolds’ senior advisers, Ryan Koopmans , also advises pro-DeSantis. great CAP.
DeSantis too voiced support for Reynolds on Twitter last week, calling her a “strong leader who knows how to ignore the tweets and get it done.”
“She got a landslide re-election because she had great results, and she’s poised to deliver even more for Iowans in the special session,” DeSantis added.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas beat Trump to win the Iowa GOP caucuses in 2016, but Trump won the general election. Trump also won the GOP caucuses and the presidential election in Iowa in 2020.
The Republican Party announced this month that it would hold its caucuses on Jan. 15.
This article originally appeared on NBCNews.com