Inside Donald Trump's Feud With Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds
Former President Donald Trump has a new adversary; this time, it's Iowa's first female governor, Kim Reynolds. In a Truth Social post dated November 5, 2023, Trump stated, "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 also summarized Kim and Ron DeSantis's relationship: "Two extremely disloyal people getting together." He ended the post with a catty remark: "They can now remain loyal to each other because nobody else wants them!!!"
This isn't the only jab Trump has thrown at Iowa's governor. In another post on July 10, 2023, Trump wrote: "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."
With what we know about Iowa Governor Kim Reynold's combative approaches to opposition, it's no surprise that Trump's public scoldings only motivated her decision to back DeSantis. On November 6, 2023, Reynolds officially endorsed him, months after hinting that she would remain neutral. Worsening the sting, Reynolds defended her decision: "I believe [Trump] can't win, and I believe that Ron can" (via NBC News). While Trump's social media attacks catch the main gist of their feud, it does raise a major question: Why is Trump labeling Kim Reynolds disloyal?
Kim Reynolds may have been more beneficial to Trump than he was to her
Donald Trump, who made history as the first president to be arrested after serving office, has clearly stated that he takes credit for Kim Reynolds' governorship win, but this claim may not be apt. Reynolds first became governor in 2017 after Iowa's governor, Terry Branstad, stepped down from the role after Trump nominated him as ambassador to China. Since Reynolds was his lieutenant governor, she assumed the role. During Iowa's next gubernatorial election in 2018, she contested and won without Trump's endorsement. While Trump did sing her praises at several events like the Iowa Workforce Development Roundtable on July 26, 2018, and passed ethanol-friendly laws that helped Iowan farmers and made them happy with Republicans, he never formally endorsed her (via Ballotpedia).
Trump only endorsed Reynolds in 2022 when she contested for another term. However, due to her policies, she was already well-liked by Republicans and a favorite to win. In turn, Reynolds did quite a bit for Trump. She barred Iowa from taking part in the multi-state lawsuit against Trump, even though Iowa's Attorney General made attempts to join. Even when Trump's trade and tariff policies hurt American farming states like Iowa, Reynolds acknowledged the difficulty but assured them that things would turn around soon. She was also present at several of Trump's campaign rallies, which helped him win Iowa in the presidential election of 2020. After his election loss, she condemned but rationalized the storming of the Capitol.
Kim Reynold's endorsement of Ron DeSantis could have several implications
Kim Reynolds clarified that her decision to endorse Ron DeSantis wasn't easy: "I just felt like I couldn't sit on the sidelines any longer. We have too much at stake. Our country is in a world of hurt, the world is a powder keg, and I think it's just really important that we put the right person in office" (per ABC News). The Iowa State Governor has also hinted at a personal relationship with Ron and his wife, Casey DeSantis. She mentioned that Ron and Casey supported her and her husband, Kevin Reynolds, when he was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Kim has the support of Iowan Republicans, leading to questions about the implications of her endorsement. Roll Call believes Kim's support may not be such a big help to Ron, suggesting that high-profile endorsements don't usually influence the public enough to change the vote. However, ABC News believes Kim's endorsement provides Ron with a lift he needs.
While the primaries would be the eventual decider, it's clear that a win for Trump could result in unfavorable policies for Iowa, specifically regarding ethanol E15 laws. During Trump's presidency, he lifted the bans on the sale of ethanol E15 during the summertime. This was well appreciated by Iowan farmers and disliked by Texas, an oil state, as it required them to purchase more ethanol from states like Iowa. Since Texas Governor Greg Abbott has endorsed Trump, Trump's policies might benefit Texans more if he wins.