Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa fired back at former President Donald Trump, who criticized her for not endorsing him in the upcoming Republican primaries.
Reynolds pledged to remain neutral during the Iowa caucuses during a May 31 appearance on “The Ingraham Angle,” citing Iowa’s first-in-the-nation role in the Republican nomination contest. Trump criticized her over the decision, saying he “opened up the Governor position for” her.
“It’s actually Iowans who made the decision to elect me in a really tough year,” Reynolds told CNN. “2018 was not a good year for Republicans. I squeaked by.”
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Reynolds, then the lieutenant governor of Iowa, took over the governorship when Trump appointed then-Republican Gov. Terry Branstad to be ambassador to China. She ran for a full term in her own right in 2018, defeating Fred Hubbell 50.3% to 47.5%, and won re-election in 2022 with 58% of the vote against Democratic nominee Deidra DeJear.
“I think it’s early,” Reynolds said when asked if Trump could be viewed as the “inevitable nominee.”
Trump currently leads Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida in the Real Clear Politics average of polls taken from July 12 to August 7, 54.2% to 15.1%, a margin of 39.1 points, with businessman Vivek Ramaswamy in third place with 6.1%. Trump also leads among Iowa voters, 43% to 17% over Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, with Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina in third place, the Washington Examiner reported.
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The Democratic National Committee approved a primary calendar that gives South Carolina the first presidential primary election on Feb. 3, 2024, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada on Feb. 6, according to CBS News.
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