Iowa Republican Chair to Nominate Trump at GOP ConventionIowa Republican Chair to Nominate Trump at GOP Convention Jeff Kaufmann, Chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, will deliver the official nominating speech for Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention on Monday afternoon. Kaufmann expressed his honor in a statement, noting the energy and purpose that comes with such a gathering. He aims to secure Iowa’s position as the first-in-the-nation presidential caucus state for 2028, citing Trump’s support for this status. Iowa GOP officials believe it is the first time an Iowa resident will nominate the GOP presidential candidate. Kaufmann’s mission is to highlight Iowa’s role in organizing the 2024 Iowa Caucuses. Iowa GOP board member David Barker recognized the recognition this speaking slot provides for Iowa’s efforts in hosting a neutral and balanced caucus. Kaufmann’s speech will follow that of Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird on Tuesday evening. Bird, who endorsed Trump before the caucuses, will address the convention on the theme of “Make America Safe Again.” The 2016 convention placed Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa in a prime-time slot on the opening night. However, technical delays resulted in her speech being delayed until after most delegates left the arena.
The chairman of the Iowa Republican Party is expected to deliver the speech formally nominating Donald Trump for president. In a written statement issued this afternoon, Jeff Kaufmann said he was “beyond humbled and honored” to speak at the GOP national convention on Monday afternoon.
“There’s a certain energy in the room when so many people come together for one purpose,” Kaufmann said during a recent interview with Radio Iowa.
Party officials believe this is the first time an Iowan has nominated the GOP presidential candidate. Kaufmann told Radio Iowa that his mission at next week’s convention will be to secure Iowa’s spot at the start of the 2028 presidential race.
“Everything we do to get Donald Trump elected right now will help us maintain first-in-the-nation status, because unlike Joe Biden, I believe he will ask us again to be first-in-the-nation,” Kaufmann said, “and unlike the Iowa Democratic Party, I will fight and will not take ‘No’ for an answer.”
Iowa GOP board member David Barker said that by giving Kaufmann Monday’s speaking time, the Trump campaign is recognizing the role Kaufmann and the Iowa GOP played in organizing the 2024 Iowa Caucuses.
“We conducted the caucuses in a very neutral and balanced way so that the voters could decide,” Barker said this afternoon, “and it ended up that they chose him.”
Trump finished with just over half the vote on caucus night, nearly 30 points ahead of his nearest challenger. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird was the only state-level elected official to endorse Trump ahead of the caucuses, and she is scheduled to speak at the party’s national convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. The theme of the evening is “Make America Safe Again,” and Bird said in a written statement that “the last three and a half years have made it clear” that Trump’s leadership “is desperately needed in the White House.”
During the 2016 Republican National Convention, the Trump campaign scheduled a prime-time appearance by Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa on the convention’s opening night. However, people who were already onstage before Ernst spoke took so long that Ernst didn’t begin speaking until after 11 p.m. in Cleveland — as most convention delegates were leaving the arena.
