Trump criticizes Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.

Former President Donald Trump Criticizes Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for Not Endorsing Him

Former President Donald Trump expressed his frustration with popular Iowa GOP Governor Kim Reynolds on Monday, taking a swipe at her for not endorsing him. In a fiery statement, Trump exclaimed, “I don’t invite her to events!”

Trump’s remarks came after his recent visit to Iowa, where Reynolds notably did not attend. An aide to Reynolds reportedly stated that she was not invited to the event. While Reynolds has publicly praised Trump’s chief rival for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis, she has remained neutral and has not endorsed any candidate at this time.

“I’m not going to tell Iowans what to do,” Reynolds said regarding the 2024 campaign. “They’re very good at this process. They’re sizing up the candidate.”

Trump, however, reminded Reynolds of his support for her in the past. “I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t invite her to events!”

Reynolds rose to her position by succeeding Governor Terry Branstad, whom Trump appointed as Ambassador to China in 2017. The New York Times noted that there is no politician in Iowa with greater influence than Reynolds, who has overseen her party’s growing state legislative majorities and enjoys an approval rating among Republicans near 90 percent.

In 2022, Reynolds secured her second consecutive victory as governor in a landslide. Trump had previously credited himself for her first win in 2018, stating, “I hate to say it, without me, you know, she was not going to win, you know that, right?” Reynolds, however, reacted with disbelief to his comment, denying that she owed him her governorship.

Despite their past interactions, Reynolds did not hold back in criticizing the Biden administration after Trump’s indictment by the Department of Justice. She condemned the indictment, stating, “The federal indictment of former President Trump represents a grave warning sign for the state of equal justice and public trust in government institutions in this country… the Biden administration’s weaponization of the Justice Department will diminish Americans’ confidence in law enforcement institutions for decades to come.”

In recent weeks, Reynolds has shown support for Governor Ron DeSantis, highlighting his signing of a law that protects unborn babies with a beating heart. She proudly mentioned that she had signed a similar heartbeat bill. Last Thursday, Reynolds even participated in a public interview with DeSantis’s wife Casey as she launched her nationwide “Mamas for DeSantis” campaign.

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