JUST IN: Iowa’s Republican Governor to Spurn Trump and Endorse DeSantis in Rare Pre-Caucus Move

The Ron DeSantis campaign — badly in need of some good news amid a spate of dreadful polling — just got some.

According to NBC News, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) plans to endorse DeSantis at a rally in Des Moines on Sunday. It’s an unusual move, as Iowa governors typically stay out of the fray in the primary. The last Hawkeye state governor to choose sides in the primary was Terry Branstad — who threw his support behind eventual nominee Bob Dole in 1996.

The Reynolds endorsement, however, is very different — as she’s backing a candidate that is way behind in the polls at the moment. A poll out Monday from the Des Moines Register — widely considered to be the gold standard of caucus polling — shows DeSantis in a joint second place with Nikki Haley at just 16 percent, well behind former President Donald Trump at 43 percent.

Trump has blasted Reynolds for remaining neutral in the race. In a post to Truth Social back in July, Trump claimed he was responsible for Reynolds winning office.

“I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won,” Trump wrote. “Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t invite her to events! DeSanctus down 45 points!”

Now, Reynolds is going even further and backing the former president’s rival.