Trump Snubbing Feenstra Becomes Story of Visit as Anti-Endorsement Petition DOUBLES in Signatures

Todd Dorman: “When the news about your campaign is people don’t want him to endorse you, he’s snubbing you — that’s bad news for the candidate.”

DES MOINES – Donald Trump snubbing Randy Feenstra and refusing to give him an endorsement has officially become the story of his trip to Iowa, and it’s “bad news” for Feenstra’s flailing campaign. Trump’s snub comes as a petition circulating among the Republican grassroots begging the President to endorse anyone but “absent congressman” Feenstra has garnered nearly 700 signatures — doubling in size since the morning of Trump’s visit.

Those who signed the petition said Feenstra was “absent” and “invisible,” and a “poster child of the swamp creatures.” Others added that “Feenstra does not represent Iowa values” and “we must nominate a strong challenger. Respectfully candidate is NOT Randy Feenstra.”

Iowans are seeing a wave of coverage about how Feenstra was “snubbed in the endorsement department” and are speaking out against Feenstra’s “milquetoast” campaign, which is dealing with major problems with the grassroots after bailing on events with the rest of the primary field — including last week’s Moms for Liberty debate. 

Here’s what Iowans are saying about “absent congressman” Randy Feenstra:

• Gazette columnist Todd Dorman: “I mean, he rode here on Air Force One with the President, but it sounded like he was maybe snubbed in the endorsement department … when the news about your campaign is people don’t want him to endorse you, he’s snubbing you — that’s bad news for the candidate … I also think ‘dragged across the finish line’ is not the metaphor that you want your campaign to be known for.”

• State Senate candidate Stacy Besch: “Yes I did sign the petition. As an Iowan and a candidate for Iowa Senate, I felt I needed to do my part by using my voice (my signature) to state what the majority here at the grassroots is thinking and seeing. We never see Randy first of all and second, he has a voting record that does not align with the values of his constituents. I feel Trump needs to hear from us what he cannot see from DC. We have some great candidates running for Governor of Iowa and my full endorsement goes to Brad Sherman.”

• Conservative columnist and former Americans for Prosperity staffer Althea Cole: “He was literally flown from D.C. to Des Moines, and that there had been a long-planned event only a couple of hours away that he still would have some sort of excuse to not be there … The fact that he was not able or willing to be present for a debate of that caliber really did not sit well. This is a theme that we’ve been uh just absolutely beating to death. You could say that we’re ‘taking it to new heights,’ the criticism of Feenstra … From a Republican perspective, in terms of the non-endorsement, I definitely think it is very telling. I can’t say for certain that this petition from MAGA supporters asking Trump to not make an endorsement in the governor’s race, I can’t say definitively that that is the reason that the president did not make an endorsement, but there’s definitely plenty to read in there as to why he did not.”

• Gazette reporter Tom Barton: “As he’s running for governor, he keeps talking about being a major player having a hand in writing some of those tax policy provisions in the Big Beautiful Bill … this would be the opportunity then, for Trump to to mention that, right, and to bring Feenstra on stage.”

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