Ernst, local Republican women remain vigilant in support for Trump

CEDAR RAPIDS - While many women have fled in recent weeks from Republican nominee Donald Trump, Sen. Joni Ernst and a group of Republican women still are backing his bid for the presidency.

'We have got to make sure we are turning out the vote,” Ernst told a gathering of about two dozen people Monday afternoon in Cedar Rapids. 'Has it been tumultuous? Of course it has been. But we are staying the course.”

At a meeting with the Iowa chapter of the National Federation of Republican Women, Ernst urged female voters to choose Trump on Nov. 8, as well as down-ticket Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley and U.S. Rep. Rod Blum.

Ernst's call comes as many Republicans - including Melissa Gesing, the former president of the National Federation of Republican Women's Iowa Chapter - have revoked their support of Trump.

Since the Washington Post released a tape of Trump talking about groping women without their consent, scores of elected Republicans and party officials have unendorsed or distanced themselves from the candidate.

Gesing resigned her position days after the tape was released on Oct. 8. In a statement, she said she could not support the Federation's mission to 'elect Republicans at all levels of government” with Trump on the ballot and felt she needed to 'take a stand against the racism, sexism, and hate that Donald J. Trump continues to promote.”

The Federation's national president, Carrie Almond, said she is saddened by Gesing's resignation but has remained firm in the group's message.

'In rallying with over 300,000 women and men. I have been told to get out there and tell people that women are voting for Donald Trump,” Almond said.

Ernst, too, has remained steady.

'While I always say I don't agree with everything that Donald Trump has said, I certainly believe in our party platform much more than I would ever support a Democratic platform,” Ernst said. 'We need to get America working again, we need to make America safe again, and as Donald says, we need to make America great again.”

Wearing a red 'Make America Great Again” baseball cap, GOP volunteer Joni Scotter said although she backed Jeb Bush during the Iowa caucuses, she also is standing by Trump.

'I really believe he loves America,” Scotter said. 'I really, really believe that with my whole heart. ... Now he's our candidate, and I stand boldly and lovingly next to him.”

Gwen Ecklund, who succeeded Gesing as president of the Iowa Chapter of the National Federation of Republican Women, said many of her cohorts aren't abandoning Trump because of his comments.

'They look at the big picture,” Ecklund said. 'They're tired of the way things have gone the last eight years. The liberal media has really twisted things, and people are figuring that out.”

Ernst joined supporters in signing their names on a red, white and blue RV that Almond - with her dog, Reagan - is driving cross-country in an effort to rally support leading up to the election.

'I'm asking you to dig deep and do whatever you can to get folks to vote,” Ernst said. 'We can't turn our back on an election.

'We're fighters.”