DeSantis campaign to sell mug highlighting friendship with Iowa governor amid Trump feud
Julia Johnson
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EXCLUSIVE — Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) presidential campaign is capitalizing on one area it has an advantage over former President Donald Trump: his relationship with the very popular governor of Iowa.
The campaign will begin selling a version of a mug gifted to him by Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) which reads “Get S*** Done.”
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Reynolds gave one of the mugs to the Florida governor prior to his campaign announcement when he traveled to Iowa for a “Freedom Blueprint” event in March.
“I think [it] is pretty reflective of your term as governor … it’s kind of our little badge of honor that we like to hand off,” she said. “If anybody does this, it’s you.”
DeSantis was seen with the mug in behind-the-scenes footage of a recent interview with Megyn Kelly.
The replica “Get S*** Done” mug to be sold by DeSantis’s campaign also says “No Excuses” on the back, with a copy of the Florida governor’s signature.
Last month during a town hall in Texas, DeSantis expressed this sentiment. “We don’t just do this so that we get a good news cycle out of it. We do it because we intend to follow through and actually produce the results. No excuses. We will get it done,” he said at the time.
The campaign’s move to sell a version of the mug is its latest move to highlight DeSantis’s particularly close relationship with Reynolds. The Iowa governor has pledged to remain neutral until the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, but that hasn’t stopped DeSantis from using the evidently good relationship he has with her to his favor, particularly as she is tremendously popular among Iowa Republicans.
During a recent campaign stop, DeSantis even said he would consider Reynolds as a running mate. “I mean, she’s one of the top public servants in America,” he said.
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The merchandise further contrasts DeSantis with Trump in the Hawkeye state, as Trump recently publicized a developing feud between himself and Reynolds. Criticizing her for remaining neutral during the campaign process, Trump took credit for her election to the governorship.
Following his attack on Reynolds, Trump lost an endorsement from an Iowa state lawmaker. In a blow to the former president, state Sen. Jeff Reichman then endorsed DeSantis instead. He attributed his change of heart to Trump’s criticism of Reynolds.
Republican strategists and leaders in Iowa weren’t sure whether this would significantly affect Trump’s support in the state, particularly because they weren’t sure if the news would reach voters. A pro-DeSantis PAC, however, is making sure this happens. Earlier this month, Never Back Down made a seven-figure ad buy in the Hawkeye state for a 30-second spot on Trump’s criticism of the governor.
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The sale of the mugs is the latest move by DeSantis to capitalize on Trump’s mistakes in Iowa and keep his attack on Reynolds fresh in the mind of voters in order to gain traction in the state.
In a recent Fox Business poll of Iowans, Trump was supported by 46% of likely Republican caucusgoers. DeSantis was supported by 16%, and Tim Scott had 11%.