Iowa
Iowa GOP Chair: Political parties should work to lower rhetoric
Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann, who will give the speech this week formally nominating Donald Trump to be elected president, expressed shock and disbelief at Saturday’s apparent assassination attempt of the former president during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
The shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, is being investigated as an attempted assassination of the former president and presumptive Republican nominee, law enforcement officials say. The FBI identified a 20-year-old man as the suspected shooter.
A former fire chief attending the rally with family was killed, as was the gunman. Two other spectators also were critically wounded, according to the Associated Press.
Kaufmann said the Republican National Convention, which begins Monday in Milwaukee, will proceed as a “four-day commercial for Donald Trump.”
He said the news and images from Saturday’s shooting were “surreal” and “hard to believe.”
“Understanding that this has to be dealt with swiftly and condemned strongly,” Kaufmann said. “And it looks like, right now, that’s happening on both” sides of the political spectrum, “which at least, will be able to possibly help to prevent this in the future.”
Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, who endorsed Trump ahead of the January Iowa caucuses, also will speak at the RNC.
Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, in a statement released Saturday, said she also will be in Milwaukee and “will proudly stand with him (Trump) and our party.”
“As President Trump showed when he walked off the stage, we will not cower to such terror,” Reynolds said in her statement. “… America will get through this, together, and President Trump will lead us into the next four years.”
Kaufmann said he has “not changed one semicolon” and will proceed with his speech focusing on the importance of Iowa’s role in the presidential nominating process and keeping Iowa’s first-in-the-nation status on the Republican presidential primary calendar, the need for change in the White House and the promises of a second Trump presidency he said would help cut spending, cut taxes, support law enforcement and enhance border security.
“I don’t want the tone to change,” he said of the RNC in the wake of Saturday’s attack.
“I think it’s important to be honest with you that we proceed really with the same message that we were always going to proceed with,” he said. “ … We cannot allow one person to change the practice of our democracy, and that means whether it’s here in Milwaukee for the Republicans, or, as far as that goes, God forbid, in Chicago with the Democrats. I just think both political parties need to continue with what we were going to do in our time-honored tradition of our conventions.”
Kaufmann spoke to The Gazette by phone after driving into Milwaukee for the RNC.
“There is police everywhere,” he said. “I mean, once you get close to the perimeter, it is everywhere. I passed through two checkpoints. I don’t know if that was planned already. I believe it was.”
He said both political parties should work to lower the political temperature and heated rhetoric in the presidential race, and strongly condemn political violence in the aftermath of the shooting.
Kaufmann, who has repeatedly disparaged President Joe Biden and Democrats as endangering the country and claimed Democrats would try to steal elections in Iowa if given the chance, called for unity and respectful dialogue in the face of political disagreements.
“This is absolutely unacceptable,” he said. “I’ve been to several of those (Trump) rallies, so I can almost place myself in the situation of that pandemonium. And, wow. My heart goes out for him. And I would say that whether it was a Trump rally or a Biden event — or you name it — that there’s no time for anybody to even give a second thought of danger that might face people when they’re going to practice their democracy.”
Former President Trump called Sunday for unity and resilience as shocked leaders from both major political parties recoiled from the shooting that left Trump wounded but “fine.” Iowa politicians were quick to react to the shooting, offering prayers and support for the former president.
Biden, who is running against Trump, was briefed on the attack and spoke to Trump several hours after the shooting, the White House said.
“There’s no place in America for this type of violence,” Biden said late Saturday. “It’s sick. It’s sick.”
Many Republicans, including some vying to be Trump’s running mate, quickly blamed the violence on Biden and his allies, arguing that sustained attacks on Trump as a threat to democracy have created a toxic environment. They pointed in particular to a comment Biden made to donors on July 8, saying “it’s time to put Trump in the bullseye.”
Republican former presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is on Trump’s shortlist for vice president, posted on social media without knowledge of the shooter’s motivations: “This was an assassination attempt aided and abetted by the radical Left and corporate media incessantly calling Trump a threat to democracy, fascists, or worse.”
Georgia Republican Congressman Mike Collins baselessly accused Biden for the apparent assassination attempt against his political rival.
“Joe Biden sent the orders,” U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
There is no evidence that President Biden was involved in the shooting. Biden’s comment to donors on July 8 referred to beating Trump in the election.
“Look, this is a full contact sport that we’re in,” Kaufmann said. “… And I don’t expect that is going to change in the presidential race. But when you move beyond to the next level of name calling, that’s what I think we can do to lower the temperature right now. We got to get through a convention, but I think that’s something that both parties can actually work on together.”
Asked whether we will see a change in tone and rhetoric from Trump — who has described his domestic opponents as “vermin” and said immigration is “poisoning the blood” of the U.S., echoing fascist dictators — Kaufmann said: “Right now, as a grandfather and a father and a husband, my guess is he’s thanking God above that he was saved, not necessarily the tone of his rhetoric.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com
See Governor Reynolds sign tougher animal torture law
Gov. Kim Reynolds signs a bill creating new felony penalties for animal torture at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.
Ember was an 8-week-old puppy when she came to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa “horribly abused,” animal welfare advocates recalled.
Officers of the state’s largest animal shelter found the dog thin, shaking and stained with blood, unable to stand or sit, when they were called to assist Des Moines police during a domestic violence investigation in March.
The puppy, who they later named Ember, suffered from a broken leg and jaw, a severely injured eye and another injured leg, bruising and swelling and a fractured jaw — an injury veterinarians say is consistent with multiple instances of abuse.
“This poor puppy was tortured,” said Tom Colvin, CEO of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.
But on Monday, May 11, Ember joined animal welfare advocates, state lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa in Des Moines to witness Iowa’s chief executive sign a law that would impose stiffer penalties in animal abuse cases such as Ember’s.
House File 2348 makes it a felony to torture companion animals, answering animal welfare advocates’ calls to fix Iowa’s status as the only state without those penalties on first offense. Before the new law, it was an aggravated misdemeanor to torture companion animals on first offense in Iowa.
In April, the bill unanimously passed the Iowa House and Senate after it stalled in the Senate for several months. A final push from animal welfare advocates helped send it to Reynolds’ desk.
“You’re doing really good,” Reynolds assured the now-5-month-old puppy as she signed the bill, while onlookers cooed over the furry guest of honor. She ended the ceremony with a gentle paw shake.
“This is already the legal standard across the rest of the country and it’s only commonsense that we adopt it here in Iowa, because this isn’t just about being punitive,” Reynolds said. “This is about cracking down on intentional, willful and malicious infliction of pain or prolonged death on innocent animals — horrible acts of violence that are evil in their own right and also certainly linked to violent crimes against people.”
Sen. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeny, who floor managed the legislation’s passage in the Senate, cited research showing linking animal abuse to violence against humans.
“This law protects companion animals from heinous acts and provides appropriate punishment for anyone committing these unthinkable actions against companion animals,” Bousselot said. “But it also protects our communities. … It’s the right thing to do for those pets like Ember (that) have received torture, have been tortured, have been put through pain, and now those perpetrators can be punished appropriately.”
Under the new law, a person would be found guilty of animal torture who “intentionally, willfully, and maliciously mutilates, burns, poisons, drowns, starves or causes intensive or prolonged pain or death to a companion animal, or provides anything of value to another person to do the same.”
The measures enhances penalties to a class C felony for repeat offenders of animal abuse, animal torture, injury to or interference with a police service dog, bestiality or an act involving a prohibited contest such as dog fighting.
In Iowa, a class D felony is punishable up to five years in jail or prison and a fine between $1,025 and $10,245. A class C felony is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of a maximum fine of $13,660.
Rep. Samantha Fett, R-Carlisle, who introduced the bill and owns three German shepherds, said the legislation was “long overdue.”
“It’s a commitment to what Iowa stands for, that in our character we want to protect our pets,” Fett said. “Our pets are there for companionship, for comfort, for therapy, for service, for working, and what better way to protect them … than by passing something like this? They deserve the value that they bring to our homes and our families, so elevating this penalty to a felony was the right thing to do.”
Colvin said this gives law enforcement another tool to crack down on animal abuse.
“Ember was fortunate enough to be a survivor of animal torture, but there are so many other ones that aren’t,” Colvin said.
Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X at @marissajpayne.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa City police are asking the public’s help identifying persons of interest connected to a vandalism investigation.
Police said a business was vandalized in the alley behind the 200 block of East Washington Street on Sunday at 2:35 a.m.
Investigators would like to speak with the persons of interest pictured. Police ask anyone who recognizes these individuals to contact them.
Anyone with information or security camera footage of the incident should contact the Iowa City Police Department at 319-356-5275. Iowa City Area Crime Stoppers is also offering a reward up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers assesses the Cyclones’ spring
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers assesses the Cyclones’ spring
Spring commencement arrives at Iowa State this weekend, with a whole new generation of Cyclones set to get their diplomas and move on to the next things in their lives.
The options and choices will set their path for, potentially, the years and decades ahead.
Which got me thinking about the choices and circumstances of this school year that came for Iowa State athletics. There were no shortages of inflection points at which, it seems, programs and an entire athletics department pivoted to new directions.
Let’s explore.
What if Iowa State had hired Taylor Mouser as head football coach?
This seems to be the most discussed “Sliding Doors” moment for Iowa State football fans regarding head coach Matt Campbell’s departure to Penn State. And with good reason. It’s the most obvious, could have had the most immediate impact on the program and would have been largely seen as a continuation of the most successful run in school history.
Would promoting the Iowa State offensive coordinator, though, have been the right move?
If you assume a best-case scenario in which some of the star Cyclone players on offense – think Rocco Becht, Ben Brahmer, Carson Hansen, etc. – stay at Iowa State and a bulk of the coaching staff does as well, there are still likely defections that weaken the roster. Nothing like we saw back in December, but, still, there would be holes – and Campbell’s shoes – to fill by a first-time head coach taking over for a legend.
The calculation, as I see it, has to be – does the Year 1 continuity and relative stability gained by hiring Mouser provide for better long-term results than hiring Jimmy Rogers, who has the benefit of head-coaching experience?
It certainly would have made the fan base feel better back in December, but would it have positioned Iowa State to have better results in 2027 and beyond?
The roster almost certainly would have been “better” in 2026 if Iowa State retained Mouser, but would that have created a more solid foundation for the future or just delayed decay?
This “What If” becomes a lot less intricate and interesting if Rogers just wins a ton this fall and going forward.
What if Penn State had been able to hire Kalani Sitake as its football coach?
I think this is the most interesting question on the list.
By reports, Penn State was on the verge of hiring Sitake from BYU when the Cougars’ boosters – led by the Crumbl Cookie fortune – banded together to put together a financial package to keep Sitake in Provo.
What if they hadn’t, though?
Sitake goes to Penn State, and Dec. 5, 2025, is an uneventful day in Iowa State history rather than one of its most feverish.
But … what happens a few weeks later when Sherrone Moore is fired at Michigan?
Rather than plucking 66-year-old Kyle Whittingham from Utah/forced retirement, do the Wolverines try to make a Michigan Man out of an Ohioan? Does Campbell inherit the seat of Bo Schembechler?
And, for the sake of this thought exercise, if Campbell did move to Ann Arbor, does the timing of that decision change athletics director Jamie Pollard’s options and calculus about Iowa State’s opening? Is Jimmy Rogers still available? Or would he have taken a different opening or opted not to leave Pullman at that later date? Is Mouser the answer in this scenario?
Or is the Buckeye State distaste for the state Up North too much and Campbell returns for Year 11 at Iowa State?
Addy Brown on what went wrong in Iowa State’s loss to Syracuse
Iowa State’s Addy Brown talks about her team’s struggles in a loss to Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament.
What if Addy Brown doesn’t get hurt?
Iowa State women’s basketball was 14-0 on Jan. 4 when it played Baylor in Waco, and the season felt sure to realize the potential that was clear before it started with one of coach Bill Fennelly’s best rosters.
The Cyclones, though, returned home with their first loss and with Addy Brown sidelined with a back injury.
Four more losses in a row followed, and when Brown returned to the floor after six weeks, the Cyclones’ season was floundering.
They salvaged an NCAA Tournament bid, but a first-round exit gave way to a roster collapse with nine players – including Brown and superstar Audi Crooks – leaving via the transfer portal, putting Fennelly’s tenure and future under fire.
If Brown doesn’t get hurt – or just isn’t out as long – does that change the trajectory of the season? The offseason? And what the eventual end of Fennelly’s Iowa State career looks like?
What if Joshua Jefferson doesn’t roll his ankle?
The most recent “What If” I think is also the most straightforward.
If Jefferson’s ankle doesn’t roll in the early minutes of Iowa State’s first-round NCAA Tournament blowout win over Tennessee State, I think the Cyclones get a long second weekend in Chicago, but the Final Four drought probably remains intact.
Jefferson’s rebounding and offensive impact are, I think, enough to give the Cyclones the edge against Tennessee, but Michigan, the Cyclones’ would-be Elite Eight opponent, was just a juggernaut.
I’m not sure even a full-strength Iowa State team would have had more than a puncher’s chance. The Wolverines were just one of the best college basketball teams we’ve seen over the last few decades.
Iowa State columnist Travis Hines has covered the Cyclones for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune since 2012. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.
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