WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump sent a Dante-like message to elected Republicans when he criticized Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday: There is a special place in hell for those who remain neutral in times of crisis.
Political pundits say that this is not hell; It’s Iowa.
“I understand that President Trump wants loyalty, and I respect that,” said Cris Christenson, a former treasurer for the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition who has donated money to both Trump and Reynolds in past elections. «But I think it’s up to Iowa voters to decide.»
The neutrality of many Republican elected officials in Iowa, and across the country, has upset Trump at a time when he is the clear favorite for a third straight Republican run for president. That’s because it’s one of the few glaring counterpoints to the narrative that he’s on his way to securing the nomination.
trump has a wide lead in national polls over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his main rival, and often captures more than half of Republican voters in polls. Voting in Iowa it has been slim, but Trump has led even in polls conducted by DeSantis allies.
Still, Trump hung a lantern on his own problem by criticizing Reynolds, the popular second-term governor, for not reciprocating his political support for her and showing up at DeSantis events.
The widening gap could further open an avenue of opportunity for DeSantis in a state where his performance in the Jan. 15 caucus is crucial to his viability.
«Opened the governorship for Kim Reynolds, and when she fell behind, I SUPPORTED her, did big rallies, and she won,» Trump wrote on the Truth social media platform Monday. two days after The New York Times reported that he was growing frustrated with what he perceived as Reynolds hugs DeSantis. “Now, she wants to stay ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t even invite her to events!»
Last month, Trump said more explicitly that Reynolds, the state’s first female governor, which won 95 of Iowa’s 99 counties last year, owes her job to him.
«I hate to say it, without me, you know, she wasn’t going to win, you know that right?» she said herself at a rally in the state.
Will Rogers, former chairman of the Republican Party in Polk County, where the state capital, Des Moines, is located, said the endorsements DeSantis has collected from state legislators they show that Trump has not been able to corner as much of the institutionally-backed market in Iowa as he would have liked.
«I think he’s struggling with that,» said Rogers, who hasn’t endorsed any candidate and has praised Reynolds and state representatives in Congress for staying out of the nomination race up to this point.
“Gov. Reynolds, as well as the rest of our delegation, not endorsing the candidates in the presidential process is a sound policy that really makes sense not just for Iowa, not just for them, not just for the candidates, but for the country,» he said. Rogers.
Reynolds has appeared at events with a wide range of candidates, including Trump, but recently expanded his hospitality by joining DeSantis’ wife, Casey DeSantis, for the launch of a group called Mamas for DeSantis. During her book tour this year, DeSantis compared Reynolds’ success on the political and legislative battlefields in Iowa to her own in Florida, with her on stage.
At the same time, Trump is skipping the annual summit of The Family Leader, an influential conservative social organization in the state, according to a tweet sent on tuesday by Bob Vander Plaats, Group President and CEO. DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and other prominent hopefuls are scheduled to attend.
DeSantis and other candidates rushed to defend Reynolds on Monday.
While Reynolds’ opening to DeSantis may not be right for trumpHalf a dozen prominent Iowa Republicans said the top officials’ neutrality helps protect Iowa’s place as the nation’s No. 1 race by giving candidates the confidence they can present themselves to voters on a fair playing field.
«I’m a great borough president and I want everyone to come to my borough and [that] it allows voters to shake hands and ask questions,” said Brett Barker, Nevada City mayor and chair of the Story County Republican Party, which does not endorse any candidate. “That’s what makes the caucus process great. I applaud Governor Reynolds for remaining neutral.»
Barker described Trump’s barrage as a distraction that won’t affect Reynolds’ standing among his fellow Iowa Republicans.
«I think there’s fatigue from some of the secondary things that aren’t the overall issues we should be focusing on,» Barker said. «What benefit is there in attacking a strong governor and who benefits from that? I think people are stumped.»
Most Iowa GOP insiders say Trump’s outburst is unlikely to affect the caucus.
Steve Scheffler, an Iowa NCR committee member and president of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, said the dispute is likely to go away without much impact on the caucus or Reynolds’ position. Neutrality makes sense for Iowa leaders at this stage of the primary, said Scheffler, who is not aligned with either candidate.
“I guess,” he said of Trump’s post, “we would all prefer these conversations to be done internally.”
Alan Ostergren, a lawyer who is involved in Republican politics in the state, said Trump could have harmed himself by going after a governor who has an excellent reputation among conservatives.
“I think this issue could have some potentially long-lasting consequences,” said Ostergren, who said he has not endorsed any candidate. «There are polls that show Trump in the lead, but we haven’t had quality polls with large sample sizes yet.»
He added: «I don’t think Donald Trump’s support is as strong as people say.»