South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, once considered a potential 2024 running mate for former President Trump, received a warm welcome at a gathering of California Republicans on Saturday, just weeks after facing a fierce public backlash after admitting to killing his “untrainable” hunting dog.
Noem, a gun rights advocate, warned of the perils facing the nation and its conservative leadership in the rural state, including its refusal to impose government shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We have an election year coming up here in 2024 where I don’t think it’s about Republicans and Democrats anymore. I don’t think it’s about political parties,” Noem told more than 200 people at a luncheon at the California Republican Party convention in Burlingame, just south of San Francisco. “I think it’s about people who love America and people who are trying to destroy it.”
She did not directly mention the incident with her dog which she wrote about in her book “No Turning Back: The Truth About What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward,” released this this month.
But Noem alluded to the controversy surrounding her decision to kill a 14-month-old wirehaired pointer named Cricket in a gravel pit because it was a bad hunting dog and had killed farm chickens.
“Look, I have a book that’s out. You might have heard a little about it,” Noem said with a laugh. “I guarantee you that if you listen to the media, you have not heard the truth. So I recommend you read it.
Luncheon attendees received a copy of the book as part of their ticket purchase; Noem signed copies and posed for selfies after her remarks. Tickets ranged from $300 to $575, with the highest price including an invitation to a reception with Noem.
The history of cricket was a topic of discussion for many at the convention.
“We hear that Governor Kristi Noem will be speaking at our convention and everyone is very excited. She’s dynamic, engaging, probably on the short list for vice president,” said a delegate from Contra Costa County, who requested anonymity because of potential contempt if he publicly discussed the incident. “And four days later we find out about the dog killing story. And everyone goes, “Uhhh?” And even Trump isn’t a dog guy, but even he said, “She’s had a rough week.” »
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks at the California Republican Party’s spring convention in Burlingame, California, on Saturday.
(Loren Elliot / For Time)
He added that this upset was indicative of the bad luck of California Republicans.
Noem focused her remarks on her leadership in South Dakota, particularly during the pandemic, as well as her decision to send the state’s National Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas to stem the influx of immigrants entering the country without authorization. She reiterated her warnings about drug cartels using her state’s Native American tribal lands to commit crimes, remarks that led some tribes to bar Noem from their reservations.
“The cartels have established themselves in the heart of our country. They moved onto my tribal reservations and proliferated their drug trafficking, their human trafficking, they were raping our children and our women in South Dakota, and they were doing it under the protection of the federal government because the federal government refuses. to bring law and order back to these communities and keep people safe,” Noem said.
She said she had no jurisdiction since tribal lands constitute a sovereign government and blamed President Biden for not intervening.
Noem, who was reportedly on Trump’s shortlist of potential vice presidential candidates but was removed before the book controversy, also praised the former president as a true American, unlike most politicians .
“What did Donald Trump do when he announced he would run for president? The guy is going down a golden escalator,” she said. “I was shocked by it. I said to myself, “This is going to be the worst campaign plan I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” »
After joking that her state had two escalators and that most South Dakotans couldn’t relate to an escalator, Noem argued that the moment showed Trump’s authenticity.
“What was fantastic was the fact that he didn’t pretend to be something he wasn’t,” she said. “He was exactly who he was.”
State Republican Party delegate Anna Bryson, a former Orange County school board member who attended the luncheon, said she was very impressed with Noem’s financial acumen, particularly her efforts to reduce taxes.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks at the California Republican Party’s spring convention in Burlingame, California, on Saturday.
(Loren Elliot / For Time)
“As someone who is driven by wanting to create the best economy for everyone, I was very impressed and I wasn’t really ready to be,” Bryson said, recounting her election experience to the Capistrano Unified School District in the middle of a budget. deficit of more than $200 million and the need to avoid bankruptcy. “So I have to congratulate her on the strong financial policies she is putting in place.”
She let the dog controversy pass on her because Noem is a breeder, as are Bryson’s family members.
“When you talk to the average American whose dogs are really important to their family, like they’re members of their family… it’s a different world,” she added. “I’m sure she regrets it. Who wouldn’t? But for all of us in politics, if you’ve been elected, you’ve had a moment where we didn’t say exactly what we wanted to say, right?
More than 800 delegates, alternates and guests attended the convention at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame. The last time the state GOP met in Burlingame was in 2016, when protesters clashed with police outside over then-candidate Trump’s appearance. There were no protests Saturday afternoon in front of the hotel, although several police officers were stationed around the building.
Times Staff Writer Anabel Sosa contributed to this report.
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