U.S. Sen. Grassley calls for Republican unity after Trump jabs at Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds

DES MOINES — Iowa U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley redirected attention Wednesday toward the current president when asked about former President Donald Trump’s jabs at fellow Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds earlier this week.

Speaking with reporters, the GOP senator was asked about a Truth Social post Monday from Trump, in which the former president claimed credit for Reynolds’ 2018 election victory and criticized her for remaining neutral in the 2024 presidential primary.

Grassley backed up Reynolds but avoided mentioning Trump, instead saying Republicans should be united against President Joe Biden and Democratic policies that Grassley said have hurt Iowans and Americans.

“Governor Reynolds is doing an outstanding job,” he said. “And she and I are policy people. We look at policy only. And I think from a policy standpoint, she and I want to concentrate on focusing everybody on the bad Biden policies which include open border, inflation … crime in the cities, and all those things.”

Trump’s social media post came after a New York Times article detailed internal strains between the Iowa governor and the Trump campaign. Reynolds appeared alongside Trump in April, but she has not joined Trump during his last two visits to Iowa. However, she has hosted other GOP presidential candidates, including Trump’s top primary challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. “Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t invite her to events!”

Republican candidates have been descending on Iowa over the last year. The state will lead the national Republican primary process with its first-in-the-nation caucuses in January. Reynolds and other top Iowa Republicans regularly appear alongside candidates and most — including Grassley — do not plan to endorse ahead of the caucuses.

Trump continues to lead the Republican field both in Iowa and nationally. Iowa polls over the last two months show Trump pulling between 40 and 50 percent of support from Iowa Republicans, according to polls reported by FiveThirtyEight.

Iowa governors and top politicians remaining neutral during the caucuses is a common practice. Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad made the rare move of endorsing Trump during his 2016 run, and Branstad went on to be named Trump’s ambassador to China.

Grassley has said he does not want to take a stance or make statements that would discourage candidates from campaigning in front of Iowa Republicans.

“When it comes to all these 13 candidates that are running for the Republican nomination, that’s for the voters to decide,” Grassley said Wednesday.