Trump notches key endorsement in Iowa ahead of first primary contest

Former President Donald Trump on Monday received the endorsement of Iowa GOP Attorney General Brenna Bird for his 2024 presidential bid, becoming the second Republican to notch a statewide endorsement in the venue of the first Republican primary contest.

The Iowa Caucus is scheduled for Jan. 15 and represents the first opportunity for Republican candidates to score a win in the long road to securing the party nomination. Challengers to Trump, who currently stands as the clear front runner, have invested considerable time and energy in the Hawkeye State, hoping to perform well and build momentum for the own bids.

But Bird's Monday endorsement signals that Trump allies abound even at the highest levels of the Des Moines political elite. Bird on Monday, introduced Trump at a campaign stop in the state, saying she was "proud to announce my endorsement of President Trump because Iowans know he is the only candidate who can defeat Joe Biden and bring prosperity back to America," the Des Moines register reported.

"He will fight the terrorists. He will fix the economy. He will stand up for agriculture. And he will uphold our Constitution and our way of life," she also said. Her endorsement followed a lengthy Trump campaign tour of Iowa in a bid to shore up support for an early win and shut down prospects for other candidates. In Iowa, he holds an average 33.0% lead in the RealClearPolitics Polling average. Nationwide, that figure stands at 45.4% in the same metric.

Trump's popularity in Iowa has persisted despite a recent row with Iowa GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds after Trump criticized Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis for enacting a six-week abortion ban, a move Reynolds also took in her state.

Trump is the second candidate to receive an endorsement from a statewide elected official in Iowa. Tech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy earned the support of Iowa Treasurer Roby Smith in August, according to The Hill. 

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.