On Tuesday night, former and potentially future President Donald Trump released a video of him criticizing Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president earlier this month. While Trump has a healthy lead in the Reoublican primary--including in Iowa, by +29.7 to be exact--he still felt the need to go after his rival coming in at a distant second behind him.
The video was shared from the Team Trump X account, meaning the campaign itself, as the account's bio notes it's the "official Twitter account for the Trump Campaign."
"Kim Reynolds of governor has gone from a popular governor to the most unpopular governor in the entire United States," Trump claimed, adding it's "not an easy feat." Although he doesn't cite that claim, a recently released poll from Morning Consult does back him up.
"Her endorsement of Ron DeSanctimonious, who is 50 points down from me in the polls, has given him exactly zero bounce," Trump continued, as he went further after the Florida governor. "He's a wounded bird falling violently from the sky. I wonder what position Kim was promised to back someone so far down in the polls?!"
Trump then pivoted to discussing his own success. "I got Iowa first in the nation, ethanol security, and $28 billion for our great farmers in Iowa, and Nebraska, and Wisconsin, and many other farming areas of our country," he touted. "I also protected Social Security and Medicare. DeSanctimonious and Nikki Haley did absolutely nothing," he claimed, going after another primary rival.
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Beyond the close to 1,500 replies--many of them taking issue with Trump's message as well as demeanor--there's also added context from Community Notes. Citing a Des Moines Register piece from last November, discussing how she won reelection by almost 20 points, the note points out that Reynolds is one of the most governors in America by that metric.
One reply, from the satirical U.S. Ministry of Truth account, referenced Daniel Cameron, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Kentucky who lost his race earlier this month to incument Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. Cameron had been endorsed by Trump.
Governor Daniel Cameron of Kentucky, however, is doing really well. pic.twitter.com/ufzIGT0qs5
— U.S. Ministry of Truth (@USMiniTru) November 21, 2023
When it comes to the Morning Consult poll, though, Reynolds is regarded as the most unpopular governor in that she has a 47 percent disapproval rating. She does, however, still enjoy a 49 percent approval rating.
DeSantis is actually regarded as the second most unpopular governor, with a 45 percent disapproval rating. He still has a 51 percent approval rating, though.
In addition to the Reynolds endorsement in Iowa, DeSantis has earned the endorsement from The Family Leader's Bob Vander Plaats, which Trump slammed in a campaign press release. Both campaigns have touted their Iowa endorsements in recent days.
Just as he did in response to Reynolds endorsing DeSantis, as he wondered "I wonder what position Kim was promised to back someone so far down in the polls," Trump also claimed Vander Plaats' endorsement came at a price.
Meanwhile, both the Trump campaign and Haley campaigns have continued to ramp up their attacks against DeSantis. The Iowa Republican Caucus, on January 15, 2024, is now less than two months away.
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