Grassley & Reynolds Respond to President Trump’s Plans

President Donald Trump has wasted no time taking action in the first two days of his term – but how are Iowa officials responding to those actions?

Governor Kim Reynolds says she’s ready to use every tool – including deploying the Iowa National Guard – to carry out President Trump’s plans for mass deportations of illegal immigrants. Reynolds has notified state prison officials and the Iowa Department of Public Safety that if they arrest someone who may be in the country illegally, they must inform federal officials and, if directed by federal authorities, hold that person until they can be transferred to federal custody. In a recent written statement, Reynolds and 25 other Republican governors said they will do everything in their power to support the Trump Administration’s efforts to deport dangerous criminals, gang members, and terrorists who are in this country illegally. Reynolds and the other Republican governors said the time for action is now and they support Trump’s pledge to restore law and order at the southern border. 

President Trump also announced on Monday night that he will impose 25-percent tariffs on Iowa’s two largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico. In a conference call with Iowa reporters on Tuesday morning, Senator Chuck Grassley says Trump’s tactics are questionable, but he’s willing to pause and see if they’re effective.

Iowa businesses ship more products to Canada than anywhere else. Iowa exported five-and-a-half billion dollars’ worth of goods to Canada in 2023, which equated to 30-percent of the state’s total exports, while Mexico is Iowa’s second-largest trading partner. Grassley says he’ll take a wait-and-see approach to President Trump’s threatened tariffs.

The Tax Foundation, the world’s leading nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit, estimates the tariffs would reduce the nation’s GDP by four-tenths of one percent and cut employment by nearly 345-thousand jobs. Grassley says President Trump already has a track record with enacting tariffs during his first administration.

Grassley was asked – twice – how the threatened tariffs on Canada and Mexico would impact Iowa’s consumers, businesses and farmers, but he did not answer the question directly.

story contribution courtesy of Radio Iowa