As the month of Donald Trump’s continuous wheel of outspoken remarks winds down, Governor Branstad is putting his two-cents worth on the GOP presidential candidate.
““I don’t think he’s going to be the nominee, but you know he, like any other candidate, has an opportunity to express their viewpoint,” Branstad said in a press conference with reporters earlier Tuesday. “If you remember what happened four years ago, we had a lot of people that were the front-runner at some point in time, but Iowans tend to reward people that work hard and spent a lot of time in the state.”
Branstad went on to say that Trump’s positive poll numbers do not necessarily correspond to a strong voter base that will caucus for him in February.
“Polls at this point in time tend to reflect name recognition,” said Branstad. “Obviously, he’s a TV personality who has a lot of recognition, but there’s a lot of other candidates in this race.”
Branstad also commented on Trump’s negative remarks about Senator John McCain.
“I think what he said…is certainly inappropriate,” said Branstad. “We respect and honor all veterans who serve our country, especially prisoners of war like Senator John McCain. What he said was truly out of line.”
Several other state leaders, such as Iowa Republican Party’s Jeff Kaufmann have come out against Trump’s derogatory statement about McCain.
