Trump has been privately grumbling about Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has made appearances with Ron DeSantis while publicly remaining neutral in the GOP presidential primary, report says

• Trump has privately complained about Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, The New York Times reported.
• He believes Reynolds should back his 2024 bid after he endorsed her past campaigns, according to the report.

Former President Donald Trump has privately grumbled about Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds recently, with the ex-commander-in-chief holding the belief that she should endorse his 2024 presidential bid after he backed her successful 2018 gubernatorial candidacy, according to The New York Times.

Reynolds — who is in high demand amongst Republican presidential candidates and has committed to remaining neutral throughout the primary process — has had several prominent appearances with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who remains Trump's top rival for the GOP nomination.

Some of the former president's advisors have mocked Reynolds' affirmation of neutrality, with a feeling in his political orbit that Reynolds is putting forth her best efforts to aid DeSantis without officially making her intentions known, according to the Times.

"She is quote-unquote neutral," an individual with close ties to Trump told the Times.

According to the Times, Trump believes that Reynolds — whom he held a rally for in 2018 before she narrowly won her first full gubernatorial term that year — should have repaid him for his past support of her campaigns. The newspaper also reported that Trump has expressed similar sentiments about other Republicans whom he has previously endorsed.

"I hate to say it, without me, you know, she was not going to win, you know that, right?" Trump said of Reynolds' 2018 campaign at a June rally in Iowa.

His statement — said in front of a group that overwhelmingly backs the governor — didn't elicit much of a reaction from the attendees, according to the Times.

The report also stated that Reynolds was incredulous that Trump felt that her initial election to the governorship was driven by his support of her campaign. The former president also backed Reynolds' 2022 reelection bid, which she won in a landslide.

Reynolds ascended to the Governor's office in May 2017 after Trump tapped then-Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad to become his ambassador to China.

While Trump left the White House in 2021, Reynolds and DeSantis have become stars within the party, with many Republicans pointing to the coronavirus restrictions that the two governors fought against after the initial outbreak in 2020 as a significant reason for their success.

The Times noted that Reynolds and DeSantis are at ease with each other when they share appearances in front of GOP crowds, having formed a strong friendship as conservative leaders throughout the pandemic.