Republican South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem was considered a VP candidate for the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, when she had her teeth “fixed” (veneers) in March.
Noem was criticized for getting the procedure done out-of-state (which involved two flights to Texas) and for starring in a 5-minute informercial for the dental clinic which she said was “amazing.”
Noem was also heavily criticized recently for content published in her new memoir No Going Back, which included a poorly received story about Noem killing a family pet, a 14-month-old dog named Cricket, and the Governor allegedly meeting North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, the authenticity of which was questioned. (The Kim Jong Un passage has been removed from the book for future editions.)
Face the Nation just did to Kristi Noem what she did to Cricket
— Keith Edwards (@keithedwards) May 5, 2024
Since the release of the book, Noem reportedly has been dropped from Trump’s VP short list. [The top four contenders are reportedly Senators Tim Scott (SC), Marco Rubio (FL), JD Vance (OH), and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.]
The MAGA loyalist Noem continues to campaign for Trump, as seen yesterday on Chris Cuomo’s NewsNation show. Working to change her optics, Noem is showing off a new hair style — an updo. The 54-year-old brunette usually wears her long wavy locks down.
When @realdonaldtrump was in the White House, he let me do my job. He let me handle COVID by trusting South Dakotans.
If Joe Biden was president then, he would have forced us to shut down. Thank God for President Trump. pic.twitter.com/10sOn16gAS
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) June 5, 2024
Note: During the Cuomo interview, Noem made a number of false claims including that, thanks to then-President Donald Trump, South Dakota “never shut down” during the pandemic. In March 2020, Noem issued an executive order closing businesses as recommended by the CDC guidance, and in April 2020, then-President Trump put intense political pressure on governors to lock down their states.