Ivanka Trump, first-born daughter to aspiring dictator Donald Trump, really wants women to believe that she’s some sort of feminist hero. Unfortunately for her delusions about herself, she continues make terrible choices that harm women instead. Case in point: The failed fashion mogul has endorsed and engaged in last-minute stumping for Iowa’s deplorable acting governor, Republican Kim Reynolds.
(Yes, that IS Senator Chuck Grassley clapping in his grandpa sweater.)
The First Daughter surprised about 75 Reynolds campaign volunteers on Thursday, and capped a 20-minute speech with a fairly strange reminder to voters:
Trump ... ended her speech by telling Iowans they don’t have too much to lose if they don’t vote for Reynolds.
Trump, 37, isn’t wrong. Not voting for Reynolds is exactly what Iowans should do if they want to win.
Reynolds, in a word, is the WORST. To use more words, she’s the worst woman who signed the worst abortion bill ever, back on May 4.
As Reynolds inked the bill, backers' cheers nearly drowned out the echoing chorus of “My body, my choice” shouted by protesters just outside the door.
“I believe that all innocent life is precious and sacred,” Reynolds said from her formal office before signing a bill that will outlaw nearly all abortions in the state. “And as governor, I have pledged to do everything in my power to protect it. And that’s what I’m doing today.”
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Under the legislation, physicians will be barred from performing most abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected.
The law, which would outlaw abortions before most folks even know they’re pregnant, was immediately challenged by the likes of Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, and an injunction stopped it from going into effect. Iowa’s own Attorney General Tom Miller, a Democrat, refuses to defend the oppressive law, but luckily for all the anti-choice zealots, the conservative Thomas More Society stepped up to the anti-choice plate for the state.
That abortion bill isn’t all that’s awful about Kim Reynolds, of course. She’s come under fire for “borrowing” fancy private jets from casino owners and workers comp CEOs who soon after enjoyed casino- and workers comp-related policies and contracts. She’s a huge fan of corporate welfare, too! And as a state senator, she proudly supported bans on gay marriage! What a winner Iowa has in its first woman governor, who as Iowa’s Lieutenant Governor, assumed office after her predecessor abandoned his post to become Donald Trump’s ambassador to China in 2017.
Oh … and Reynolds proudly and unapologetically embraces the eternal racist, Iowa Rep. Steve King, as her campaign co-chair! She’s even spending her final campaigning hours with the unapologetic, shrieking white supremacist in his neck of the woods, Sioux City.
The First Daughter, of course, managed to dance around all of these bad, bad acts when endorsing and stumping for Reynolds on November 1 and 2. It wasn’t hard, because at a roundtable event on Friday, Ivanka literally raved about her own (imagined) accomplishments, with a little sprinkle or two about her daddy, while Reynolds nodded enthusiastically and murmured soothing agreements.
I’m really proud of the work we’re doing to advance the president’s agenda …
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I’m really proud of the role that I played in tax reform …
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I’m very proud of the bipartisan wins that I’ve been able to achieve …
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SESTA/FOSTA, the work I’ve been doing to combat sex trafficking …
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I’m also really proud of my husband and my father …
Like father, like daughter—gotta make it all about you, Ivanka.
When the Complicit One finally did take the time to address what great girl power Kim Reynolds would bring to Iowa, she cherry-picked her platform planks, and did as much spin control as possible.
The Guardian’s Arwa Mahdawi sums up everything wrong with Ivanka’s endorsement of Reynolds quite well.
If Reynolds wins she will be the first woman elected as governor in Iowa. But that would be nothing to celebrate. Having more women in office means nothing if those women enact regressive policies.
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Despite the fact that she is basically a female version of her father, Ivanka continues to portray herself as a champion of women, flying around the world to talk about female empowerment. One of the most important ways to empower women, however, is to give them control over their reproductive rights. Ivanka’s support for Reynolds, who is doing everything she can to take those rights away, is yet another reminder that Ivanka is no friend to women.
Iowa Democrats offered some choice words in response to Trump’s visit, which comes on the heels of a Reynolds fundraiser with Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and a rally appearance with Daddy Trump.
In response to the first daughter’s visit, the chair of the Iowa Democratic Party, Troy Price, released a statement, saying that Reynolds “doesn’t have a record or vision to run on, and it’s obvious that her support is lagging.”
“Her own party members have gone out of their way to say how disappointed they are with the lack of energy and momentum behind her campaign,” Price said. “Ivanka Trump’s lifeline visit is further proof that Gov. Reynolds will always choose her party over what’s best for Iowa families, but Iowans know Gov. Reynolds has (a) disastrous record, and that’s why they will be voting for Fred Hubbell next Tuesday.”
Fred Hubbell, a businessman new to the political arena, is ahead by two to four points, according to Monday’s polling. Demeaned as “that businessman” by Reynolds, Hubbell has campaigned on a progressive platform, vowing to undo most of the damage Reynolds has done, including the state’s struggles with Medicare privatization. Hubbell’s approach has left Komplicit Kim on the defensive for most of her campaign, according to the Des Moines Register.
If Reynolds wins, she’ll make history as the first woman governor elected in Iowa (remember, she upjumped to interim governor in 2017). Personally, this is a historic first for women that it’s best to delay.
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