Iowa Governor Says DeSantis Can Still Pull Off Caucus Win

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Voters in Iowa will kick off the 2024 presidential election cycle on Monday with the state’s Republican caucuses, and whereas Donald Trump is forward within the newest polls, one key Republican sees a gap for a brand new candidate if help for the previous president falls under 50%.

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“It’s a distinct ball recreation” if Trump can’t break 50%, stated Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. She says she’s assured that Ron DeSantis, Florida’s governor, will prevail in Iowa after which go on to safe the nomination.

The Massive Take DC podcast sat down with Reynolds simply days earlier than the nation’s first nominating contest to speak about whether or not there’s any situation by which she would help Trump, and why many citizens desire a change in Washington.TRANSCRIPTSaleha Mohsin:

On Monday, voters in Iowa would be the first within the nation to solid a vote for who they suppose ought to be the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential elections. It’s a giant second for the nation, in what could possibly be essentially the most consequential election cycle in many years. 

To date, we’ve solely gotten a way of what voters need from polls. However on Monday, we’ll lastly see what they need — from their ballots. A minimum of in a single state.

Right here’s what polls have instructed us to this point. A current one in every of probably Iowa caucus attendees has former president Donald Trump main the GOP race with 51%. That’s in keeping with a joint ballot from the Des Moines Register, NBC Information and Mediacom.

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However there’s one main determine within the state’s Republican management who has come out loudly in help of another person:

Governor Kim Reynolds through C-SPAN Archival: We’d like somebody who gained’t get distracted, that will keep disciplined, who places this nation first and never himself. That chief, [applause] that chief – that chief is Ron DeSantis.

Saleha Mohsin: That’s Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds talking again in November when she introduced her help for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. In comparison with Trump’s 51%… DeSantis is polling at 19%.

In the present day on the present, I’m joined by Governor Kim Reynolds. We taped simply days earlier than the Iowa Caucuses. We talked about why Ron DeSantis has her vote and if she thinks the remainder of the state will vote together with her. Plus, we’ve acquired the unique on what she’ll do if Trump – whose she’s been very vital of – turns into the social gathering’s nominee. 

From Bloomberg’s Washington bureau, that is “Massive Take DC.” I’m your host, Saleha Mohsin.

***

Saleha Mohsin: Governor Reynolds. Thanks a lot for agreeing to return on the present. 

Kim Reynolds: Sure, I’m comfortable to do it. Thanks for the chance. I recognize it. 

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Saleha Mohsin: Truthfully, I want that we had sufficient time to debate whether or not your state, Iowa, or my state, Ohio, actually chooses a president. I’m a Cincinnati lady, so…

Kim Reynolds: There you go. Truthfully, Iowa’s position is to not essentially select the president. Our position is to slim the sphere.

Saleha Mohsin: Governor Reynolds, you have got picked your candidate, and in only a few days, Iowa Republicans are going to decide on theirs. Ron DeSantis began this marketing campaign robust within the polls in your state, and now he’s down. I’d love to listen to from you: What do you suppose DeSantis must do within the subsequent couple of days to return out of Iowa with the bounce that you just’re hoping for?

Kim Reynolds: Effectively, to begin with, it’s not going to be the polls or the media that’s going to dictate to Iowans who the winner of the Iowa Caucus is. It’s actually going to be the person who’s put the boots on the bottom, that’s traveled the state, that’s acquired in entrance of Iowans, gave them a possibility to speak concerning the imaginative and prescient that they’ve for getting this nation again on observe. However most significantly, to face there and reply query after query after query.

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And I’ve traveled with him and I’ve watched him try this. And I’ve seen the consequence. After he’s completed, after we depart a room, there’s been simply so many individuals which have come up and stated, “I wasn’t positive. I hadn’t made my thoughts up but, however I’m in.” They’ll signal a caucus card. “You’ve satisfied me.” I’ve seen ‘em flip. 

So, I feel, to begin with, he simply wants to focus on his document. He has an exceptional document to run on. It’s not “what if,” that is what I’ll do. It’s, “I’ve completed it.” I typically inform Iowans in the event you like what we’ve completed right here in Iowa, you’re gonna love what Ron DeSantis will do for this nation. We’d like a candidate that may win and I feel he’s the candidate.

Saleha Mohsin: I do wish to ask you one query that’s on the thoughts of lots of people coming from out of Iowa. Is that this a race for second in opposition to Nikki Haley?

Kim Reynolds: Uh, no, no, I don’t essentially suppose so. This isn’t a nationwide election. It’s a caucus. It’s on the bottom. It’s completely totally different than a major. We’re gonna have some nasty climate on the fifteenth. And so we’ve got to have individuals fired up, keen to go to the caucus, weigh in for his or her candidate. I imply, there’s quite a lot of variables that play into that. So it’s who’s acquired the vitality. That’s why I feel Ron’s breaking on the proper time.

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I feel persons are displaying up. He has the momentum. I feel Nikki’s had quite a lot of gaffes within the final a number of days. Right here’s the opposite factor that I feel individuals must, , acknowledge. That he’s nonetheless shifting, his likability remains to be growing, and he’s had over $40 million of damaging adverts in opposition to him. To be fairly sincere, Nikki has hardly had a finger laid on her. And when she begins to return underneath scrutiny, I feel she’s demonstrated, doesn’t at all times do very nicely. 

And so, , hear, this man has been examined. Throughout COVID. Each of us. 

Saleha Mohsin: Yeah.

Kim Reynolds: Very related in how we responded to it. And we acquired quite a lot of horrific media and pushback. And so I like any person that’s been examined that has a backbone of metal and never afraid to make the robust selections. 

Saleha Mohsin: You and Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, you’re two key Republican governors who’re vocal about backing a candidate apart from the ex-president. Governor Reynolds, do you suppose that extra of your fellow GOP governors are going to affix you each in an alternate candidate because the primaries unfold?

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Kim Reynolds: Effectively, I feel you’ve seen some. I imply, different governors have additionally weighed in. And that’s an impartial selection. I imply, they’ll need to make their very own selection with regard to that. However I didn’t take it frivolously. I take the first-in-the-nation caucus very severely. I wished to guarantee that I welcomed all of our candidates to the state of Iowa. Needed to guarantee that I offered them a platform to share their message and imaginative and prescient and to assist introduce them to Iowans. And for seven months I did that. 

However I’m telling you, our nation is in hassle. The world is on fireplace. I’m not solely a mom, however I’m a grandmother to 11 grandchildren. We’re a resilient nation. We will come again after 4 years of simply the madness and overreach and simply horrible issues that we’ve seen… I’m simply attempting to consider adjectives to explain it as a result of there are rather a lot from this president. However I’m unsure that we will come again from one other 4 years.

And so we’ve got to get this election proper. Now we have to elect any person that may win. Now we have to elect any person that has the ability and the resolve to step in on day one and reverse the insanity that we’ve seen. The insanity has to cease.

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 And I simply, I really feel very strongly that Ron’s the individual that can try this. And so I felt prefer it was essential for me to weigh in. 

Saleha Mohsin:  After the break, Governor Reynolds on what points matter most to Iowans, and what she is going to do if Trump is the nominee.

***

Saleha Mohsin: We’re again. I’m joined by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. We’re speaking about her state’s upcoming caucus, the place voters will weigh in on the Republican presidential subject. 

There are quite a lot of questions, after all, round Donald Trump’s candidacy, uh, as we head into this coming weekend in Iowa. Do you suppose that if Trump will get lower than 50 p.c of the vote in your state, he could possibly be beatable?

Kim Reynolds: Effectively, I feel, , that’s what Iowa does. I talked about, we slim the sphere. In case you are available a robust second, it’s shut, he’s 50 or under, I feel it’s a totally different ball recreation. We’ll see what New Hampshire does. After which we’ve got South Carolina and it’s off to the races, however, it can make a distinction what these numbers appear like, the place they arrive in. It simply, it can.

, the media has tried to set the stage that he’s not susceptible, that he can win. I don’t consider the polls. The identical polls instructed us on this final election, we had been going to have a crimson tsunami throughout the nation and that didn’t occur. It did in Iowa. It did in Florida, as a result of we did what we stated we had been going to do and handed insurance policies that influence the folks that we serve, however it wasn’t the case throughout the nation. 

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And so persons are, are leery of the polls. I’m unsure they’re utterly sincere, after they’re, um, answering them. And once more, it’s a sort of a luck of the draw since you’re polling folks that have possibly by no means gone to a caucus or not, not as engaged. So I feel if he scores under 50, it’s like recreation on.

Saleha Mohsin: I do need to ask as a result of we did all study arduous classes in 2016 to be ready for extra eventualities than we count on. In case your state chooses Trump on Monday, would you help the ex-president?

Kim Reynolds: I’m a Republican. Any one of many candidates that we’ve got working will do a greater job than the absentee president that we’ve got serving at this level. It’s unbelievable what we see taking place underneath this administration. And so with out hesitation. I’ll do no matter I can to guarantee that we’ve got a president, uh, within the White Home. I feel it’s going to be Ron DeSantis.We’d like any person that may serve for eight years, that is aware of tips on how to work with Congress to get issues completed and completed. I’m a governor. We don’t do it on our personal. I’ve to work with the legislature. That’s the place the coverage begins. I’ve to determine a solution to work with them and compromise and to proceed to drive what I consider might be impactful for our state. That’s what I’ve seen from Governor DeSantis and that’s what our nation wants. 

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Saleha Mohsin:  So to your constituents, whoever’s within the White Home, so long as it’s a Republican, one can find a solution to work with.

Kim Reynolds: Oh, completely. , it’s humorous. Endorsements are endorsements. I’ll inform you this, Iowans are very impartial. We take the first-in-the-nation caucus very severely. They’re nonetheless displaying up. They’re kicking the tires. They’re asking the questions. They’re listening to the response. They’re going to land the place they land.

I’ve actually good buddies, I’ve legislators which have lined up with totally different candidates. In order that’s simply, that’s who we’re and what we do. I’m gonna do what I can to share Ron’s imaginative and prescient and message and document. After which each Iowan will make up their very own thoughts. However in the end, I consider, , you’ll see all of us unite ultimately, and that’s what we have to do, to only get the nation again on observe. 

Saleha Mohsin: I wish to discuss slightly bit extra globally. There’s information and polling that exhibits that voters within the US and America’s buddies and foes overseas marvel what will occur to the worldwide order if — not simply if Trump’s reelected — I wish to transfer away from that. I wish to discuss what occurs if we don’t have clear election outcomes or if the nation can’t unite behind the subsequent administration. You’re an influential voice on this nation, a Republican voice— 

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Kim Reynolds: Mhm.

Saleha Mohsin: What do you make of these issues from overseas? 

Kim Reynolds: Effectively, it’s a democratic course of. We have to do the whole lot we will to guarantee that we adhere to the integrity of the election. Individuals need to know with nice certainty that they’ll belief the electoral course of. You’ve seen a number of states which have enhanced their insurance policies in the case of election integrity. We take it very severe. We’ve completed it right here in Iowa, so we have to proceed to make the case not solely to the constituents that we serve in a state-by-state foundation as a result of it’s ran by the states. And I feel after we try this, then, globally, it’ll have the identical influence.

Saleha Mohsin: And let’s come again native, then. 

Kim Reynolds: OK.

Saleha Mohsin: You’ve instructed me about how ready Iowans are for the caucus. They’re kicking the tires. They haven’t already made their resolution. They’re actually taking this severely. What are the large points to your state and your voters on this election? 

Kim Reynolds: , it’s the economic system. I feel it’s security. I feel, , if you take a look at what’s taking place on the southern border, each single state is a border state proper now and are feeling the impacts of that. In order that they’re involved of that. We will’t have an open border. We don’t depart our houses unlocked at night time. It’s the identical idea. We wish to welcome individuals, however we wish to guarantee that we’re defending. I feel it’s security, it’s the economic system, inflation and security. 

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Saleha Mohsin: What are among the conversations together with your voters which have caught with you as you’ve been out in help of DeSantis throughout the state?

Kim Reynolds: I feel one of many issues that they are saying once I’ve heard them, particularly after they’ve stated, “I’m in, it did it for me tonight,” is his potential to not be afraid to reply robust questions. And they’re huge ranging. I imply, a few of them have simply been from left subject.

However his capability to know the query, perceive the difficulty, and to have a solution or a imaginative and prescient or a coverage — and lots of, many, many occasions he’s already completed it in Florida. So it’s not a “what if” right here’s what I might do, however he’s capable of level to one thing that he’s truly completed. When he makes a promise or when he says I’m gonna do that, he’s already thought it by way of.

I imply, I’m a governor and these are usually not little points that he’s speaking about. He’s taken on actually huge robust points. To have the ability to stand till there’s no extra questions, not be afraid of it, have a solution, coverage to comply with it, it is extremely very efficient.

He’s the simplest chief that I’ve seen in a protracted, very long time. And I imply that.

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Saleha Mohsin: Governor Reynolds. Thanks a lot to your time. 

Kim Reynolds: Thanks. Have day. In case you’re in Iowa, let me know. 

Saleha Mohsin: I might be. 

Kim Reynolds: OK, we’ll see you then. 

Saleha Mohsin: Thanks for listening to “Massive Take DC” from Bloomberg Information. I’m Saleha Mohsin.

This episode was produced by Julia Press and Naomi Shavin. It was fact-checked by Laura Davison. A particular thanks to my colleague, Jennifer Jacobs.

Blake Maples and Alex Sugiura are our combine engineers. Our story editors are Michael Shepard and Wendy Benjaminson. Sage Bauman is our Government Producer and Head of Podcasts.

Thanks for tuning in. I’ll be again subsequent week—with a particular dispatch from Iowa to unpack the outcomes of the first-in-the-nation caucus.

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