Top Iowa Republicans from the governor on down aren’t returning Donald Trump’s phone calls and are not committing to support him in 2024.
The former president, itching to seal up support early in what remains a key state in the Republican presidential contest, has checked in with Iowa influencers who have stood by him in the past.
Senators Chuck Grassley and Governor Kim Reynolds didn’t answer when he telephoned recently, and neither of them are willing to give their party’s former leader their nod this early, according to people familiar with the matter. Nor are Joni Ernst or other top state elected officials.
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Republicans are not so subtlety freezing Donald Trump out. It isn’t 2016 anymore or even 2020. Trump expected the Republican Party to line up behind him, but instead, they are pretending like they are too busy to take his calls.
Trump’s strength is with the rank and file of the Republican Party. Unlike Democrats, the Republican Party has been driven by a fear of the base. Democrats tend to try to appeal to their base and move with them. Republicans live in terror of the base turning on them and tossing them out of office.
If the Republican leadership decides to rally around someone else, but the base stays with Trump, the odds are that weak elected Republicans will rally around the former president, but so far Republicans in Iowa are seeing Trump’s number and refusing to pick up.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association