In the heat of the 2016 Republican primary, former President Donald Trump made waves by criticizing Iowa’s evangelicals, a revelation surfacing from the upcoming book “The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism” by Tim Alberta. Trump’s ire stemmed from a confrontation with Sen. Ted Cruz during the primary race, triggered by Trump’s stumble over a Bible verse, referring to “two Corinthians.”
Alberta’s account delves into Trump’s suspicion of a conspiracy among influential evangelicals to thwart his GOP nomination bid. As Cruz’s allies seized upon the “Two Corinthians” slip to assail Trump ahead of the Iowa caucuses, Trump reportedly lashed out at an Iowa Republican official, dismissing the evangelical circle around Cruz with disdainful language.
According to the details from the book, Trump’s disparaging remarks about the evangelical community continued in the following years, painting a persistently colorful picture of his feelings toward them.
Recent revelations have also seen influential figures in Iowa, like Bob Vander Plaats, throwing their weight behind Governor Ron DeSantis for the upcoming caucus, despite Trump losing endorsements from Vander Plaats and Governor Kim Reynolds, both of whom now support DeSantis. Nevertheless, polls still indicate a substantial lead for Trump in the caucus, with some reporting his advantage to be over 25 points compared to DeSantis and former Governor Nikki Haley. This polling underscores the enduring support Trump maintains within Iowa despite these recent revelations.
