Republicans lose the bells and whistles and get serious at trapshoot

The Jasper County GOP Trapshoot was uncharacteristically restrained this year apart from the fiery speeches from guests like U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who fought back against new ads from her opponent, and former acting U.S. Attorney General Matt Whittaker, who lobbied for another Trump presidency.

Sure, folks fired off rounds of trap and skeet, and many seemed to be having a good time doing it in between chats with candidates or their representatives. But the energy was surprisingly low for an event that has attracted nearly every major Republican candidate and helped ramp up enthusiasm amongst the ranks.

In the past, guests like a “fired up” Gary Leffler took an extreme approach. Leffler, who ran an unsuccessful primary for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District seat two years ago but is most famously known for his American Flag-decorated tractor, featured signs and enlarged dollar bills demonizing Democrats.

The trapshoot has hosted Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and former Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, numerous statehouse legislators and council members and supervisors, presidential candidates and even a former contestant on “The Apprentice.”

Still, even without special guests the trapshoot has always managed to gather Republicans in one space for an exciting start to the day.

Perhaps it was the change in weather that caused this anomaly. Usually, the trapshoot is mired by extreme forecasts. It’s either really windy, really muggy, really rainy or really bright. But for the first hour or so the weather was damn near perfect. Then the wind picked up. Then again from a different direction.

It became too much for Miller-Meeks, whose hair kept getting in her eyes during her turn at trap. Historically, she is one of the better shooters, but the wind no doubt caused a few shots to miss their target. During her speech, she found a new target: opponent Christina Bohannan.

“I know if you’ve watched TV at all then you know I had to take a break from being on the yacht and drinking champagne,” Miller-Meeks said sarcastically. “I had to change the champagne to beers to be here in Iowa. If you’ve seen the ad, you’ll know what I’m talking about.”

Miller-Meeks may be referring to Bohannan’s “Up There” ad, which depicts Miller-Meeks with a crowd of people clinking glasses of champagne. The ad claims Miller-Meeks’ campaign took over $1 million from special interests groups. Other Bohannan For Congress ads feature the same scene.

It is not the first time Bohannan’s ads have caused a stir. Several TV news outlets, including KCCI, have run a fact check segment on the Bohannan campaign’s ad that claims Iowa has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country and that it’s because of Miller-Meeks. KCCI reported the claims untrue.

Miller-Meeks told the Jasper County crowd: “Christina Bohannan is trying to lie and buy her way into Congress. And we are not going to let her do that.”

As with any election season, Miller-Meeks said there is a lot on the line for this congressional district election. If the Electoral College has a tie, she said, the U.S. House of Representatives decides the tie-breaker. Miller-Meeks said Donald Trump would want a Republican-led House in that situation.

“Do you think Christina Bohannan will vote to impeach President Trump? Yes. Do you think I will vote to impeach President Trump? No way! No how! Never!” Miller-Meeks said. “…There is one thing I agree with Kamala Harris on: Let’s turn the page on the Biden/Harris Administration and get his country back on track!”

Whittaker has made a number of appearances in Jasper County, but it was his first outing to the trapshoot. He spoke about national security being a key issue on the ballot, claiming the United States is weaker than it has ever been since the “outbreak of World War II.” The world is on fire, Whittaker said.

“We have Hezbollah/Hamas causing chaos and war in the Middle East, we have Russia invading Ukraine and we have an ever-ascending China that is currently not being checked by the United States of America and our allies,” he said. “…We all know Donald Trump is much stronger than a weak Kamala Harris.”

The southern border, he added, is out of control. Whittaker lobbied that a Trump White House means a more secure border and an immigration system that works for the American people, serves the interests of the United States and brings “the best and the brightest” from around the world.

“I mean, we can’t bring everybody and we can’t have a system that’s unorganized,” he said before pinning the issue on Democrats. “…You cannot cause the problem and then suggest somehow you’re going to fix it. That’s like if somebody breaks into a house and suggests they’re going to offer you security.”

Earlier this year the U.S. Senate failed to advance a border security bill after all Republicans but one voted against it. Many lawmakers say Trump put pressure on lawmakers to block the deal. Whittaker went on to say Democrats are suggesting there is not a crime problem in America.

“Immigrant crime has skyrocketed because of this illegal border invasion,” he said. “We have to get back to a law and order system. We have to get to a place that no matter where you live every child is safe to play in their front yard, and everyone is secure in their own homes with their personal effects.”

Donald Trump will do that, he added, because he has seen him do it before. Trump issued an executive order to the U.S. Department of Justice in 2017 to support law enforcement and reduce crime in America. Whittaker said the United States needs to get back to measures like these.

“Instead of weaponizing the Department of Justice against political enemies like we’ve seen under (U.S. Attorney General) Merrick Garland,” he said.

The economy, he concluded, is also an issue Americans need to consider when going to the polls. Inflation has been out of control, and Whittaker said Americans have lost their savings because they have to spend more than what they are making. Whittaker said Trump will bring down inflation and bring back prosperity.

Of course, there was another reason Whittaker said Republicans should vote and encourage others to vote for Donald Trump that has nothing to do with issues.

“In 2026, we’re going to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America,” Whittaker said. “And my question to my good friends here in Jasper County is: Who do you want in charge of that birthday celebration and that fireworks show on July 4, 2026. I think the answer is pretty clear.”

Providing most of the hoots and cheers and early applauses was Dunwell, who was noticeably tired this time around. Dunwell has campaigned for a House seat four times since 2020. He campaigned and lost to Wes Breckenridge in 2020. He won the seat in a special election the following year when Breckenridge resigned.

In 2022, he won the seat against Democratic opponent Erick Zehr and Libertarian challenger Michael Wood. Now, he’s back at it again.

Dunwell, too, stressed the importance of this election. He recalled a conversation he had with a Democratic lawmaker blaming Republican policies for the increased lines at the food pantries. Dunwell said he stopped her and told her to think about a few things.

“We have a 2.8 percent unemployment rate in Iowa and we have a growing economy. The reason people are suffering and the reason the lines are so long is because of the Biden tax inflation,” Dunwell said. “It has driven prices for groceries through the roof and we’ve had high energy costs across the board.”

Fiscal responsibility is of the utmost importance for Dunwell. He said Republicans have lowered the state’s income tax for all Iowans. He touted the Republicans’ controls on property tax, noting there is still work to be done. However, House File 718 has been heavily criticized by local taxing entities.

“We put in some checks and some balances saying how high they can raise that levy, what they have to do with all of that assessment growth, saying in most cases some of that assessment growth must be used to lower the levy — what you pay per $1,000 on your home,” Dunwell said.

The Republican lawmaker went on to celebrate the party’s legislative wins this past year, including the decision on a law that supporters say protects girls sports but others say bans transgender students. Dunwell also praised the state’s six-week abortion ban, but he said more needs to be done on that issue.

“We’re about providing resources for moms and dads who are going through the birth of a baby and need our help and need our support,” he said.

Dunwell went on to say one of the best things Jasper County has going for it is its support from the governor, and his relationship with the governor.

“When we needed help with our redevelopment zone at Legacy Plaza, the governor stepped in,” he said. “When we needed help with the racetrack, the governor stepped in. When our conservation was looking for grants, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and the federal government stepped in and the governor stepped in.”

Dunwell added Jasper County can pick up the phone and talk about opportunities to make sure it stays in the forefront of the her mind outside the urban area.

“I need your support,” Dunwell said. “We need to get Donald Trump elected president, amen? We need to get Mariannette Miller-Meeks to continue to represent us in the U.S. House. We need to elect Doug Cupples as a Jasper County supervisor and we need to elect Thad Nearmyer for that two-year seat.”

Nearmyer, a candidate for county supervisor and the former chair of the Jasper County Republican Party, spoke briefly about the importance of voting early — which is also an uncharacteristic trait of Republicans — and in his speech he revealed what could be the reason for the event’s tonal shift.

“President Trump, Congresswoman Miller-Meeks and Representative Dunwell are all in super tight races and they need every vote they can get,” he said. “(Dunwell’s) opponent is the real deal. We should not overlook this. We have to work our tails off and make sure our entire slate gets elected.”