Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday accused the Biden administration of a series of failures at home and abroad during the Republican rebuttal to President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address.
Parties typically select a member seen as a rising star to deliver the response to a president of an opposing party. Reynolds is Iowa’s first female governor, and she is viewed as a possible running mate for former President Donald Trump should he seek another term in the White House.
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In remarks delivered from Des Moines, Reynolds argued the Biden administration has had a string of foreign policy failures prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal did more than cost American lives; it betrayed our allies and emboldened our enemies,” she said. “North Korea is testing missiles again at an alarming rate, the Speaker of the House recently warned our Olympic athletes not to speak out against China, and now, Russia has launched an unprovoked full-scale military invasion of Ukraine — an attack on democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.”
Reynolds said, “All Americans must stand united in solidarity with the brave people of Ukraine as they courageously defend their country against Putin’s tyranny, as they fight for their freedom.”
She also hit the Biden administration’s approach to the economy, arguing that “the President and Democrats in Congress have spent the last year either ignoring the issues facing Americans or making them worse” and that an increase in spending led to an increase in inflation.
Reynolds said Biden and Democrats want to defund the police, despite Biden rejecting the slogan in his remarks.
Reynolds also took aim at Biden and Democrats over issues like pandemic school closures and mask mandates.
“Americans are tired of a political class trying to remake this country into a place where an elite few tell everyone else what they can and cannot say, what they can and cannot believe,” she said.
After the response, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted that Reynolds “just knocked it out of the park!”
.@IAGovernor Kim Reynolds just knocked it out of the park!
Republicans are for parents and students.
Republicans are for safe streets and secure borders.
Republicans are for FREEDOM.— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) March 2, 2022
In a preview of the speech circulated earlier Tuesday by the Republican Governors Association, Reynolds said the Biden administration has “failed.”
America is at a crossroads.
Biden and Democrats have failed.
WATCH?️ @KimReynoldsIA talk about how Iowa is proof that strong Republican leadership has delivered real results for her state, and can deliver real results for the country.
⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/7m4nzy0Kkd
— The RGA (@GOPGovs) March 2, 2022
The RGA’s communications director, Jesse Hunt, said in a statement, “As President Biden fails to adequately respond to the never-ending crises plaguing our nation, Republican governors like Kim Reynolds are showing the country what strong leadership looks like.”
“Tonight, Reynolds will offer Americans hope and a way forward amidst a weak State of our Union,” Hunt said. “The RGA is honored to have Reynolds serve as our vice chair and looks forward to her response speech this evening.”
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Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deidre DeJear took to Twitter ahead of Reynolds’s speech, writing that Reynolds would “stand by Donald Trump and his rhetoric, not our Democracy and not Iowa.”
Tonight, my opponent, GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds, will give the Republican rebuttal to the State of the Union. In her speech, she’ll stand by Donald Trump and his rhetoric, not our Democracy and not Iowa. We need to drown her speech out with grassroots support. RT if you’re with me.
— Deidre DeJear (@DeidreDeJear) March 1, 2022
