Iowa Republican Party chairman Jeff Kaufmann says the friction between former President Donald Trump and Governor Kim Reynolds over her November endorsement of Ron DeSantis will evaporate as the General Election campaign gets underway.
“There was some back and forth on that. We all saw that, but she has endorsed Donald Trump at this point,” Kaufmann said this morning. “Donald Trump, you know, he’s going to be seeing her and our Iowa delegation at the national convention. He’s going to be seeing her standing and saying: ‘We need four more years of Donald Trump,’ and what he’s going to see is a united Iowa and he’s going to see a governor that may not have always agreed with him, but he’s going to see a governor that has the same conversation principles that he does.”
Trump complained about the governor’s lack of loyalty throughout 2023. In the weeks leading up to the Iowa Caucuses, crowds at Trump rallies in Iowa often booed when Trump mentioned Reynolds by name. “Ultimately, when it’s all said and done — Joe Biden in the White House or the prospect of a Democratic majority in the Iowa Senate, whatever that goal that we don’t want is, that’s going to transcend any of the family fights that we’ve had,” Kaufmann said. “Those boos will be cheers when they see the full record of what Kim Reynolds has led this legislature to do.”
Kaufmann concedes Reynolds and Trump have some fence mending to do, however. “The interactions that I see all over the state with her — and I’m talking about interactions with hard core Trump people (who say): ‘This is our governor, we love her,'” Kaufmann said. “…In terms of Donald Trump, yeah, I’m sure there’s some conversations to be had yet.”
Reynolds has been Iowa’s governor for nearly seven years. Kaufmann said with over $1.6 million the Reynolds campaign “war chest” and an aggressive travel schedule in Iowa, Reynolds is well positioned to run for reelection in 2026 if that’s what she intends to do.
“I think Kim Reynolds is going to be well supported in whatever endeavor she does,” Kaufmann said. “…Kim Reynolds, in my opinion, is one of the greatest governors Iowa has ever had and I think that’s a majority opinion in my party.”
Kaufmann made his comments during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight on Iowa PBS.
Reynolds released a written statement this afternoon. “The Biden Administration is a total disaster,” Reynolds said. “,,,We have the chance to put things right. Iowans kicked off the contest for the Republican Nomination…And while we may have been on different sides, we all share a common goal: And that’s ending Joe Biden’s political career. That’s why I endorsed President Donald J. Trump. He’s a fighter…So, let’s do everything we can to deliver Iowa and return him to the White House.”