It was just a matter of time before Donald Trump had his say amid reports Sunday that Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds was planning to break from the long-standing tradition of governors in the state remaining neutral ahead of its caucuses and endorse Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president.
The former president castigated DeSantis repeatedly for being “disloyal” by running against him after he endorsed the governor in 2018, so the odds were good that Trump would employ the same line of attack against Reynolds given that he also endorsed her.
Trump didn’t disappoint — though DeSantis has said that no candidate is owed anything and that they have to earn the nomination in the eyes of the voters.
“If and when Kim Reynolds of Iowa endorses Ron DeSanctimonious, who is absolutely dying in the polls both in Iowa and Nationwide, it will be the end of her political career in that MAGA would never support her again, just as MAGA will never support DeSanctimonious again,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Two extremely disloyal people getting together is, however, a very beautiful thing to watch. They can now remain loyal to each other because nobody else wants them!!!”
Not content with trashing two of the most popular Republican governors in the state, many saw Trump wanting to destroy their political careers and any future benefits GOP voters may realize with them.
In a second post, Trump shared a previous clip from Fox News of Reynolds saying she would remain neutral in the GOP primary
“Kim Reynolds told me that she was going to remain NEUTRAL because Iowa was, ‘Thank you President Trump,’ FIRST IN THE NATION. She wanted to campaign with everyone,” he wrote. “I told her that I should have ‘remained neutral’ when she asked me to help her get elected, and that I didn’t want or need her to campaign with me. I am now 41+Points up in Iowa!”
DeSantis has put a lot of work into Iowa, which is first on the 2024 GOP primary schedule. His strategy appears to be to win there and carry that momentum forward. Ironically, Trump and his supporters are pointing to polling to call on all other primary candidates to drop out before a single vote has been cast. The same polling critics note the Trump camp has been quick to dismiss as inaccurate when he is not ahead.
As for polling, a new New York Times-Siena survey has Donald Trump leading President Biden in five critical battleground states — the polling comes before Democrats and their allies in the media have engaged in attacking the eventual GOP nominee, should it be Trump. Some suggest the polling is designed to steer Republican voters to the former president.
This is not the first time Trump has lashed out at Gov. Reynolds. Over the summer, after the New York Times did a piece on her closeness to DeSantis, the former president responded online: “I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won. Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t invite her to events!”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
- Mel Gibson speculates on whether there’s a ‘purpose’ behind devastating LA fires - January 11, 2025
- Biden says any remaining pardons could be based on who Trump is critical of - January 11, 2025
- Intel analyst says Iranian missiles smuggled across southern border, Trump travels altered - January 4, 2025
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.