Inside Donald Trump’s Feud With Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds

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.