Breaking: IOWA FIRST!
Pardoned former National Security Advisor and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn told an Iowa audience he's worried about the state of the nation, making it all the more important that Iowans elect Republicans this November.
"You've got three congressional seats that are at risk, a governorship that could be at risk," Flynn told the Westside Conservative Club crowd on Wednesday, Aug. 19, in West Des Moines.
Flynn said he sees as akin to the quilts his mother used to make, with grassroots communities acting as the thread that stitches it together, their precision and care creating something durable yet beautiful and easy to love.
"You've got to think about our country like that; you hang it up, you throw it in a bag, the kids use it too often, and (a quilt) starts to fray," Flynn said. "In our country, the stitching is coming out. The edges are frayed, the center is thin because it's been overused. We haven't taken care of it."
To start stitching Iowa back together, Republicans must elect Zach Lahn for governor.
"The thing about Zach (Lahn) is that he's not beholden to anybody," Flynn said. "And that's a big deal in politics."
Flynn said Lahn's ideology will keep Iowa strong, but only if Republicans turn out on Nov. 3, and he said Lahn's first focus should be on bettering Iowa's public schools.
"So you're known for corn, great," Flynn said. "But what does Iowa want to be known for? For me, the best answer is the best education system in the nation. If I was a governor, I'd want to be the top. I'd want to be number one."
Kim Schmett, one of the speaker organizers at the Westside Conservative Club, received a phone call late Saturday night: Flynn was in town with time to spare in his schedule. Would the Westside Conservative Club like to have him come speak? Schmett said yes without a second thought.
"It's really important to have some national speakers in, and for Iowans to hear that," Schmett said. "We have the caucuses, it's a rare opportunity that we have that the rest of the country doesn't, and I think it's our obligation to come and hear different speakers. I think it's good for democracy."
Chatter abounded as those gathered placed their orders, sipped their coffee and waited for Flynn to arrive.
"I spent about 40 minutes, two, three different times trying to get through this guy's resume," Schmett joked. "Finally I gave up and I thought, 'they don't want to hear from me, anyway; they're here to hear from you, general.'"
Flynn stood up from a table in the middle of the crowded room and strode to the front to shake Schmett's hand.
"I like to speak to audiences as though I will never be invited back," he joked. "So you know what you'll get from me is what I absolutely believe."
Flynn's message was simple: Want to win the election in November? Keep your focus local.
"I keep harping on this 'local,' because I use this phrase, 'local action has a national impact,'" Flynn said.
As the event wound down, Flynn had a final request for the audience.
"If you do anything after listening to me today, you go back and read Psalm 23, okay? Because America is in that valley right now," Flynn said. "We have two choices: Don't get involved, you know, let the political people do whatever they're gonna do. The harder path is long and generally pretty dark. But there's a little tiny light at the end, and you know what that light is? That's freedom."
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2026/08/20/lt-gen-michael-flynn-urbandale-iowa-visit-westside-conservative-club/91351092007/
