These Iowa Republicans say they'll support 'perfect' Trump no matter what — 'until he dies'

Although Iowa isn't deep red like its neighbor to the west, Nebraska, the state has been a frequent source of frustration to Democrats. President Barack Obama won Iowa in both 2008 and 2012, but the state went to Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. And Iowa is home to Religious Right-friendly Republicans such as Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Joni Ernst.

With the 2024 Iowa Caucuses less than half a year away, The Bulwark's Joe Perticone visited the Iowa State Fair and surveyed the political landscape —which he describes in an article published on August 17. Perticone encountered some diehard Trump supporters as well as some conservative voters who were open to supporting other GOP presidential candidates.

Rebecca, an Iowa Republican voter in her sixties, told Perticone, "I'm with (Trump) until he dies. And I hope he doesn't die…. He accomplished everything."

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According to Perticone, the Trumpsters that Perticone interviewed see him as "practically perfect in every way" — including Rebecca, who cited former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as her least favorite of the GOP presidential hopefuls. Christie has been vehemently critical of Trump.

Perticone also interviewed a 23-year-old supporter of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was arguably the MAGA movement's greatest success story of 2022 — he ran a far-right campaign and was reelected by 19 percent in what used to be the ultimate swing state — but has been trailing Trump badly in presidential primary polls.

Thomas told Perticone, "(DeSantis is) more electable than Trump…. Trump spent a s***-ton of money. DeSantis was better on COVID and isn't wanted for multiple crimes."

Perticone also spoke to some Democratic voters at the Iowa State Fair: Mark and Ellie, both of whom are supporting President Joe Biden's reelection campaign.

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Mark told Perticone that he "wanted to see the freak show" — meaning the Republicans at the event. Ellie, however, commented that he appreciated the fact that conservative former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson is "respectful" but added, "It's almost like the more disrespectful you are, the better you do (in the Republican primary)."

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