Breaking up is hard to do.
She stuck by him through thick and thin, through all the prevarication, disinformation and consternation. He lied about the outcome of a presidential election, tried to subvert the will of the people and sparked a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. He carted off confidential documents for safe keeping in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom. But it only made her cling to him more tightly.
But then he insisted she would be nothing without him. And worst of all, he called the six-week abortion ban she championed “a terrible mistake.”
That’s it. She wants to see other candidates.
Leave it to top Iowa Republicans to finally break with Donald Trump because he’s right. The six-week abortion ban Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law is a terrible mistake. It would effectively ban abortions for nearly all women, despite its exceptions for medical necessity, rape, if reported within 45 days, and incest, if reported within 140 days.
Remember, this is a governor who argued adamantly during a debate last year that a pregnant third-grader must carry a baby to term.
The six-week law is tangled up, for now, in the courts. The conservative Iowa Supreme Court will have the final say.
Trump’s remarks, on NBCs “Meet the Press” last weekend, were aimed at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who also signed a draconian abortion ban into law. But from a policy standpoint, Reynolds and DeSantis are interchangeable. What happens in Florida doesn’t stay in Florida. It migrates north.
"I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake," Trump said of DeSantis on “Meet the Press,” maybe sensing repressive legislation is bad politics. Trump even suggested a “both sides” compromise on the issue. Gasp.
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"It’s never a 'terrible thing' to protect innocent life," Reynolds said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "I’m proud of the fetal heartbeat bill the Iowa Legislature passed and I signed in 2018 and again earlier this year."
What if they run into each other at a Pizza Ranch? Awkward.
Pro-DeSantis Iowa Republicans also pounced.
"Trump's comments are a slap in the face to Iowans and the entire pro-life movement. We should never compromise with Democrats on protecting life,” said Iowa House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl.
Make no mistake, Trump is not going to protect abortion rights. He’ll have a new position any minute now. He appointed three justices to the Supreme Court with the clear goal of overturning Roe v. Wade. His talk of an abortion compromise will go the way of his promised “wonderful” health care plan, his Mexican-funded border wall and infrastructure week. You can’t believe a word the guy says.
But it really is remarkable that after all Trump has done, through impeachments, indictments and attacks on American democracy, it’s a dust up with Reynolds that may break the spell. Top Iowa Republicans often stood on stages with Trump while he unleashed a pack of lies. They gladly accepted his endorsement. They mimicked his authoritarian leadership style.
And this wasn’t just a political drama. It had real consequences for Iowans.
Take voting, for example. Trump’s lies about a rigged election gave Republican state lawmakers a pretext for placing new limits on absentee balloting, satellite voting and ballot drop boxes. They shortened the timeline for early voting and made sure any ballot that didn’t arrive by the time polls closed on Election Day wouldn’t be counted.
Why? Because after 2020, Republicans insisted many Iowans just had a “feeling” the election was somehow tainted. So much for all those Trump “F- your feelings” T-shirts.
So, does this hurt Trump’s standing with Republican Iowa caucusgoers? Well, Reynolds is very popular among Republicans, so picking a fight with her isn’t a great idea. And evangelical conservatives, who make up a large block of Republicans who show up to caucus, could be alienated by Trump suddenly going squishy on abortion.
But conventional wisdom like this doesn’t seem to apply to Trump. Never has. With each indictment, he becomes more popular among Republicans.
And how do his rivals attack him without angering his supporters? Good luck.
But if Trump begins to look like a probable general election loser, Iowa Republicans may abandon him in droves. Just ask Steve King.
It’s obvious Reynolds is pulling for DeSantis, even as she claims neutrality. If the Florida governor closes to within striking distance of Trump in Iowa, it wouldn’t be surprising if Reynolds endorsed him.
But for now, with Trump still holding a large lead in polling, the governor is hedging her bet.
And if Trump eventually wins the Republican nomination, all this squabbling will be long forgotten. Iowa Republicans will jump back on the Trump train. Their backbones, integrity and sense of decency will once again be placed in storage, maybe in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom.
(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@yjegazette.com
www.thegazette.com
She stuck by him through thick and thin, through all the prevarication, disinformation and consternation. He lied about the outcome of a presidential election, tried to subvert the will of the people and sparked a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. He carted off confidential documents for safe keeping in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom. But it only made her cling to him more tightly.
But then he insisted she would be nothing without him. And worst of all, he called the six-week abortion ban she championed “a terrible mistake.”
That’s it. She wants to see other candidates.
Leave it to top Iowa Republicans to finally break with Donald Trump because he’s right. The six-week abortion ban Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law is a terrible mistake. It would effectively ban abortions for nearly all women, despite its exceptions for medical necessity, rape, if reported within 45 days, and incest, if reported within 140 days.
Remember, this is a governor who argued adamantly during a debate last year that a pregnant third-grader must carry a baby to term.
The six-week law is tangled up, for now, in the courts. The conservative Iowa Supreme Court will have the final say.
Trump’s remarks, on NBCs “Meet the Press” last weekend, were aimed at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who also signed a draconian abortion ban into law. But from a policy standpoint, Reynolds and DeSantis are interchangeable. What happens in Florida doesn’t stay in Florida. It migrates north.
"I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake," Trump said of DeSantis on “Meet the Press,” maybe sensing repressive legislation is bad politics. Trump even suggested a “both sides” compromise on the issue. Gasp.
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"It’s never a 'terrible thing' to protect innocent life," Reynolds said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "I’m proud of the fetal heartbeat bill the Iowa Legislature passed and I signed in 2018 and again earlier this year."
What if they run into each other at a Pizza Ranch? Awkward.
Pro-DeSantis Iowa Republicans also pounced.
"Trump's comments are a slap in the face to Iowans and the entire pro-life movement. We should never compromise with Democrats on protecting life,” said Iowa House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl.
Make no mistake, Trump is not going to protect abortion rights. He’ll have a new position any minute now. He appointed three justices to the Supreme Court with the clear goal of overturning Roe v. Wade. His talk of an abortion compromise will go the way of his promised “wonderful” health care plan, his Mexican-funded border wall and infrastructure week. You can’t believe a word the guy says.
But it really is remarkable that after all Trump has done, through impeachments, indictments and attacks on American democracy, it’s a dust up with Reynolds that may break the spell. Top Iowa Republicans often stood on stages with Trump while he unleashed a pack of lies. They gladly accepted his endorsement. They mimicked his authoritarian leadership style.
And this wasn’t just a political drama. It had real consequences for Iowans.
Take voting, for example. Trump’s lies about a rigged election gave Republican state lawmakers a pretext for placing new limits on absentee balloting, satellite voting and ballot drop boxes. They shortened the timeline for early voting and made sure any ballot that didn’t arrive by the time polls closed on Election Day wouldn’t be counted.
Why? Because after 2020, Republicans insisted many Iowans just had a “feeling” the election was somehow tainted. So much for all those Trump “F- your feelings” T-shirts.
So, does this hurt Trump’s standing with Republican Iowa caucusgoers? Well, Reynolds is very popular among Republicans, so picking a fight with her isn’t a great idea. And evangelical conservatives, who make up a large block of Republicans who show up to caucus, could be alienated by Trump suddenly going squishy on abortion.
But conventional wisdom like this doesn’t seem to apply to Trump. Never has. With each indictment, he becomes more popular among Republicans.
And how do his rivals attack him without angering his supporters? Good luck.
But if Trump begins to look like a probable general election loser, Iowa Republicans may abandon him in droves. Just ask Steve King.
It’s obvious Reynolds is pulling for DeSantis, even as she claims neutrality. If the Florida governor closes to within striking distance of Trump in Iowa, it wouldn’t be surprising if Reynolds endorsed him.
But for now, with Trump still holding a large lead in polling, the governor is hedging her bet.
And if Trump eventually wins the Republican nomination, all this squabbling will be long forgotten. Iowa Republicans will jump back on the Trump train. Their backbones, integrity and sense of decency will once again be placed in storage, maybe in a Mar-a-Lago bathroom.
(319) 398-8262; todd.dorman@yjegazette.com
Opinion: Is Trump’s spell over Iowa Republicans finally breaking?
That’s it. The governor wants to see other candidates
www.thegazette.com
