Kim Reynolds says she would 'absolutely' appear with Donald Trump after he criticized her

Gov. Kim Reynolds said she is still open to appearing with former President Donald Trump on the campaign trail even after he harshly criticized her last week.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Reynolds reaffirmed her pledge to stay neutral in the 2024 Republican presidential race and said she's "absolutely" open to appearing with Trump at a future event.

Reynolds said she's already invited Trump to join her at one of her "Fair-Side Chats" ― a series of question-and-answer sessions with presidential candidates that she intends to moderate at the Iowa State Fair next month.

"He’s been invited, so hopefully he’ll take that opportunity to show up," she said. "I think it’s a great way for Iowans to see kind of a different side of our candidates. Who wouldn’t want to come to the Iowa State Fair?"

Last week, Trump attacked Reynolds in a post on Truth Social, claiming credit for elevating her to the governor's office in 2017 by naming former Gov. Terry Branstad as U.S. ambassador to China and for endorsing Reynolds during her first election race in 2018, which she won by 3 percentage points.

"I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won," Trump wrote. "Now, she wants to remain 'NEUTRAL.' I don't invite her to events!"

Reynolds said Tuesday that she owes her 2018 victory "to the Iowans who actually put their trust in me."

More: Iowa senator revokes Donald Trump endorsement after former president attacks Kim Reynolds

"It was a tough year for Republicans," she said. "I was one of the few that made it across the finish line and then I overwhelmingly won in 2022. So I am grateful and honored and proud to serve as governor of the state of Iowa and I appreciate Iowans putting their confidence and trust in me."

Speaking to WHO Radio host Doug Wagner on Tuesday night, Trump said "I didn't pick a fight. I've always had a very good relationship with Kim."

But he also doubled down on his claim that she owes her 2018 victory to him.

"With Kim, I helped her get elected," Trump said. "I would say that without me she would not be governor."

Reynolds on potential Trump charges: 'I haven't even had a chance to look at that'

Reynolds also declined to weigh in on Trump's announcement that he may soon be facing federal charges in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump confirmed Tuesday that he is the target of a federal investigation into attempts to overturn the 2020 election and his supporters' attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump received a letter from Special Counsel Jack Smith informing him that he is the target of the investigation. Such a letter typically means criminal charges are imminent. It's unclear what charges Trump could face.

Smith's probe is looking at whether Trump incited supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to stop Congress from counting the Electoral College votes that made Joe Biden president.

It also includes Trump's efforts to overturn Biden's wins in several states, and the question of whether Trump conspired with others to block certification of Biden's victory.

"I haven't even had a chance to look at that," Reynolds said Tuesday afternoon, saying she was focused on preparing for a news conference.

"I’m not entirely surprised by what’s happening," she said. "It seems to be a pattern with what we see coming out of this administration, but I haven’t had a chance to even look at it to comment."

Trump was set to participate in a town hall with Fox News' Sean Hannity Tuesday afternoon in Cedar Rapids.

Reynolds has been a consistent defender of Trump and has frequently criticized the Justice Department in President Joe Biden's administration of "weaponizing" federal law enforcement.

If Trump faces charges, it will be the third time he has been criminally indicted this year. He was indicted in June on 37 counts related to withholding and concealing classified documents after he left office, and of obstructing justice.

Reynolds said at the time that the indictment "represents a grave warning sign for the state of equal justice and public trust in government institutions in this country."

Trump is also facing 34 felony charges in New York state court alleging he falsified business records in connection with hush money payments to women who claimed to have had sex with him.

He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

New pro-DeSantis PAC ad highlights Trump's criticism of Reynolds, using an AI voice

Trump's recent criticism of Reynolds' neutrality in the caucuses has already been the subject of two television ads in Iowa — one of which comes from the super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

It features an AI-generated voice that imitates Trump, reading off his social media post criticizing Reynolds and declaring that "I don't invite her to events." The ad buy from Never Back Down exceeds $1 million, Politico reported Tuesday evening, and will run statewide.

It comes days after an anti-Trump PAC launched a similar ad, highlighting the former president's criticism of Reynolds and questioning the focus of his campaign.

Trump's criticism of Reynolds also caused Iowa state Sen. Jeff Reichman, R-Montrose, to switch his endorsement from Trump to DeSantis.

Des Moines Register reporters Galen Bacharier and Brianne Pfannenstiel and USA Today contributed to this report.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Kim Reynolds says she would appear with Donald Trump despite criticism