New York Times finds apparent Kim Reynolds burner account on X used to trash Donald Trump, praise Ron DeSantis

Lang
1/12/24

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds used a burner account on X to trash former President Donald Trump.

That’s according to a report in the New York Times. The newspaper says Reynolds began using the account @Kimberl26890376 on the app formerly known as Twitter more frequently shortly after the first of the year. The account, which had just 259 followers at the time the story was published, has posted and liked several anti-Trump, anti-Nikki Haley and pro-Ron DeSantis memes and comments in recent days. The account was created in 2021, but most of its 58 posts have been in the last ten days.

Reynolds has publicly endorsed DeSantis over Trump in the current presidential campaign ahead of Monday’s Iowa caucuses. Despite that support, the account has also offered gentle criticism of the Florida governor’s campaign, including one post in which Reynolds suggested DeSantis needs to hold more town halls.

While the account has a photo of Reynolds as its avatar, it lists her as “Kimberly Reynolds”, a name she has never publicly used. The account in no way references her official X account or her role as Iowa’s governor. Many of its followers are Iowa Republican political leaders, and a person familiar with the case confirmed to the Times it was her behind the account.

The account was suspended by X shortly after the Times published its story.