DES MOINES, Iowa The chair of the Iowa Republican Party said shes one of the Hawkeye States most popular political figures. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) described her as one of the countrys top public servants. A Republican who attended the Iowa State Fair last weekend praised her quiet confidence.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds might be in the perfect position to be a cornfield kingmaker, boosting her state, her party and her own political future as one of the most powerful Republicans in the country. But the dominant figure in the Republican Party former President Donald Trump equates the neutrality required of a good first-in-the-nation-caucus host with betrayal.

Trumps animosity toward Iowas governor surfaced last month, with Trump bashing Reynolds for saying she wouldnt immediately endorse any candidate in the Republican presidential primary, which the former president views as an act of disloyalty.

The one-sided feud spilled into more public view this weekend at the Iowa State Fair, when Trump commandeered the fairgrounds for a chaotic hour on Saturday after ignoring an invite from Reynolds to appear in her new series of fair-side chats, one of the main draws for candidates hoping to get a foothold in the first presidential nominating state.

Reynolds, who has generated almost as many headlines as the candidates over the last week, even acknowledged the influence she could wield in the caucuses, suggesting she might not stay neutral forever. I dont think you say, Never, never, she said at the fair . Well see what happens.

The result is a test case for whether local power brokers, with their old-timey traditions, niche litmus tests and local media audiences, can still wield significant power in the MAGA-era GOP.

Reynolds is coming off a blowout reelection that highlights Iowas red shift, a trend thats also swept onetime swing state Ohio in the Midwest. As governor, Reynolds balanced tax cuts with the social issues that animate todays GOP, signing a six-week abortion ban and ban on gender therapy for minors .

Tiffany Welch, a 43-year-old undecided voter from Clive, Iowa, who showed up to a recent DeSantis event, said the governors policies leave out too many Iowans. Its really frustrating how she has her pet issues that affect a really small percentage of people, she said.

Trump claimed over the weekend he was still on good terms with Reynolds then proceeded to argue that she wouldnt be governor without him. I have a very nice relationship with her, he told reporters . I got her elected. I endorsed her. I came and did a rally when she was very far behind.

A spokesman for Reynolds said the governor is completely focused on promoting the fair, and that it was the main goal of the fair-side series. This is a venue she truly cares about, Reynolds spokesman Kollin Crompton told HuffPost.

Reynolds hardly, if ever, mentioned Trump in her 30-minute sit-downs with candidates, which drew every Republican besides Trump and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who isnt focusing on Iowa. Reynolds, who sported a T-shirt and cowboy boots on stage, is leaning into the role of ambassador, tour guide and possible power broker in a key battleground that a dozen Republicans hope will pave their road to the White House.

But even after four indictments, the former president remains the dominant figure in the Republican Party and the primary, his poll numbers inching up with each new legal case and the more voters get to see of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose numbers are only slightly better in Iowa than they are nationally.

Trump can still turn any event into his own three-ring circus. With little advance notice, the former president parachuted into central Iowa Saturday, flying his branded jet over the fairgrounds while DeSantis was flipping pork burgers with his family. Then Trump brought the entire Grand Concourse to a standstill as he spoke at the Steer N Stein bar, where his campaign made sure to publicize that he picked up the $10,000 tab .