Iowa's Kim Reynolds, Joni Ernst throw support behind Donald Trump's presidential campaign

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has put her support behind Donald Trump heading into the November election now that he is the last Republican standing the presidential primary fight.

"Joe Biden has been a disaster for our country," she posted to social media. "Higher prices, inflation, an open border, crime, and the destruction of America’s image on the world stage. I will do everything to defeat him and elect Donald J. Trump for president of the United States!"

Reynolds had endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president ahead of the Iowa Caucuses, saying she didn't believe Trump could win in a general election.

But she has said throughout the election cycle that she would ultimately support the party's nominee, regardless of who it is, in November.

"We are Republicans, and when this is done, we get behind whoever our nominee is and move forward," Reynolds told the Des Moines Register ahead of the caucuses.

Her support came the day former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley ended her White House bid, making Trump the only Republican still in the race. He is expected to quickly amass the delegates necessary to clinch the party's nomination.

Trump has targeted Reynolds repeatedly over the past year, first for declining to endorse his campaign and remaining neutral and then for weighing in on behalf of DeSantis in November.

He wrote on social media at the time that Reynolds' endorsement of DeSantis would be "the end of her political career."

"Two extremely disloyal people getting together is, however, a very beautiful thing to watch," Trump continued. "They can now remain loyal to each other because nobody else wants them!!!"

Reynolds joins the 89% of Iowa Republicans who say they will vote for Trump in November, according to the latest Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll, even after many supported other candidates in the party's January caucuses.

According to the poll, Trump would nearly double his margin of victory over Biden if a rematch of their 2020 contest were held now, winning 48% to 33% among likely voters.

Iowa's U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst also shared her support of the former president on social media Wednesday, becoming the final member of the U.S. Senate Republican leadership conference to do so. She had withheld any endorsement ahead of the caucuses.

"We must beat Joe Biden and get this country back on track," she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Donald Trump has my support."

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She is also covering the 2024 presidential race for USA TODAY as a senior national campaign correspondent. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Gov. Kim Reynolds, Sen. Joni Ernst endorse Donald Trump for president