Some of the headlines have been misleading, but there’s no doubt former President Donald Trump is displeased with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.
Meanwhile, presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy said it’s far too early to worry about who’s endorsing — or not endorsing — whom.
Some news outlets have characterized Trump as upset with the Republican governor’s “neutral stance” on the crowded field of presidential candidates. Reynolds has long said she will welcome all of the Republican candidates but endorse none. She said she doesn’t want to be perceived as playing favorites in a state that has long led the presidential nominating process.
But it appears Trump, the clear frontrunner in the arena of more than a dozen Republican competitors, believes Reynolds has been a little too cozy with the campaign of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running a distant second to the former president in most polls.
The New York Times recently reported that the strong political relationship of two governors, brought together in large part by their positions against the COVID lockdowns, “has been the subject of internal Trump campaign discussions.”
Reynolds last week appeared at an event with DeSantis’ wife, Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis.
Trump, who is known to demand loyalty from his political allies, griped about Reynolds’ lack of gratitude for his support.
“I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won,” Trump wrote this week on his Truth Social platform.
“Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t invite her to events! DeSanctus down 45 points!” he added, noting his dominance in the state and national polls.
Ramaswamy, an Ohio businessman and political outsider who has been rising in Republican presidential primary polls, says he’s okay with the agnostic positions that Reynolds and Iowa U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) have taken regarding the GOP presidential nomination chase.
In an interview Tuesday with The Iowa Star at the Iowa State Capitol, he said he’s become an evangelist for Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus status.
“This is a state where the caucus-goers are excellent at being able to tell the difference between who’s authentic and who’s a professional politician,” he said. “I’m coming here as an outsider to the system. That’s part of why I’m in the race and I trust the caucus-goers of this state, no matter what anybody else says.”
As for the long campaign slog leading up to the January caucus, Ramaswamy said, “I’m at the stage where most people are still getting to know me.
The high-energy outsider added, “We’re going to be in Iowa a lot. So I fully expect the governor and the people who have kept a tradition of neutrality to maintain that.”
Officials for Reynolds’ office and Trump’s campaign have not responded to requests for comment.
“.@KimReynoldsIA is a strong leader who knows how to ignore the chirping and get it done. She earned a landslide re-election because she delivered big results, and she is poised to deliver even more for Iowans in the special session,” the governor tweeted.
.@KimReynoldsIA is a strong leader who knows how to ignore the chirping and get it done. She earned a landslide re-election because she delivered big results, and she is poised to deliver even more for Iowans in the special session.
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) July 10, 2023
Ernst also defended her governor and her friend Tuesday on NewsTalk 1040 WHO in Des Moines. The senator said most Republicans would find Trump’s criticisms of the governor’s neutrality “offensive.”
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M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
Photo “Vivek Ramaswamy” by Vivek Ramaswamy.
