Kristi Noem, the Republican Governor of South Dakota, questioned fellow governors of GOP who decided to enact measures regarding Covid-19. Business closures and mask mandates were especially criticized. She also accused them of trying to rewrite their records now that the pandemic is shrinking in the US.
Kristi Noem Will Not Stand For Dishonesty
Kristi Noem pointed out that some Republican governors are pretending as if they did not close their states or mandate masks. The reference is an obvious one towards Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, and Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida. She continued that the Americans needed leaders who have enough grit to stick to their instincts.
A potential contender for the White House in 2024, Kristi Noem told her listeners to demand the truth from their leaders. She also told them to ensure every leader has the willingness to take tough decisions. Kristi Noem had touted her approach to the pandemic repeatedly throughout her CPAC speech. She highlighted her decision to never close even one business. She said that South Dakota did not mandate and trusted their people to think of personal responsibility as the proper answer.
Noem had refused to issue mandates even in the middle of a covid surge in South Dakota. She insisted on her state’s efficacy stemming from rapid identification and isolation of cases. Currently, South Dakota ranks 10th highest in the number of deaths in 100,000. The state’s number of cases per 100,000 ranks 3rd highest.
However, Governor Kristi Noem had refused to issue mandates on masks pointing out doubts over the covering’s effectiveness. In February’s Orlando CPAC, her criticism of Dr. Fauci earned her immense popularity.
On Sunday, Noem’s comments were an attempt to rejuvenate a political field frozen by Donald Trump. She still holds high hopes that Trump will become President once more.
