A recent report reveals a significant deterioration in the political relationship between Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and former President Donald Trump. Despite once being political allies who endorsed each other during their re-election campaigns, tensions have risen, particularly after Reynolds publicly supported Governor Ron DeSantis for the GOP’s 2024 nomination.
The New York Times uncovered a secret social media account, @Kimberl26890376 (formerly on Twitter), maintained by Reynolds. This account, distinct from her verified @KimReynoldsIA account, has posted content both boosting DeSantis and criticizing Trump, as exemplified by various clips and posts. Notable among these is a retweet contrasting DeSantis favorably against Trump and Nikki Haley.
The Times describes the obscure Twitter account as straddling the line between public and private. While featuring Reynolds’s photo and the username “Kimberly Reynolds,” it is not linked to her official political or governor’s accounts and does not explicitly identify her as Iowa’s governor. Despite its relative obscurity with 259 followers as of the report, influential Iowa political operatives are among its audience.
Reynolds has maintained the @Kimberl26890376 account since 2021, according to available information, with the majority of its 58 posts concentrated in recent months. The content primarily revolves around the presidential primary, with reposts promoting DeSantis’s media appearances and amplifying criticisms of Trump. One notable example is a retweet in November sharing the perspective of a DeSantis supporter who accused Trump of lacking loyalty while demanding it from others, describing it as “FEALTY” and suggesting a desire for a king among Trump’s associates. The revelation of this secret account adds a layer of complexity to the evolving dynamics between Reynolds and Trump as they navigate shifting political alliances.
MS. REYNOLDS’S LITTLE-KNOWN TWITTER ACCOUNT STRADDLES A LINE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. IT HAS HER PHOTO IN THE PROFILE PICTURE AND LISTS THE USER NAME AS “KIMBERLY REYNOLDS” (SHE USUALLY GOES BY KIM). BUT IT IS IN NO WAY LINKED TO EITHER HER VERIFIED POLITICAL ACCOUNT OR HER OFFICIAL GOVERNOR’S ONE, AND IT DOES NOT IDENTIFY HER AS THE GOVERNOR OF IOWA. AS OF THURSDAY MORNING, @KIMBERL26890376 HAD 259 FOLLOWERS, A SIGN OF ITS OBSCURITY, ALTHOUGH THE FOLLOWING INCLUDED A NUMBER OF INFLUENTIAL IOWA POLITICAL OPERATIVES.
MS. REYNOLDS HAS HAD THE @KIMBERL26890376 ACCOUNT SINCE 2021, ACCORDING TO X, BUT A MAJORITY OF HER 58 POSTS HAVE COME IN RECENT MONTHS AND ARE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY. SHE HAS USED REPOSTS TO PROMOTE MR. DESANTIS’S MEDIA APPEARANCES AND AMPLIFY CRITICISMS OF MR. TRUMP. IN NOVEMBER, FOR EXAMPLE, SHE SHARED A POST FROM ANOTHER DESANTIS SUPPORTER WHO WROTE, “TRUMP HAS NO LOYALTY BUT DEMANDS IT FROM EVERYONE ELSE. THAT’S FEALTY. WHICH MAKES SENSE BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE WANT A KING.”
