While typically coy on the subject, Gov. Kristi Noem threw cold water on talk of her Presidential aspirations during a recent interview with a Watertown radio station.
KWAT news director Mike Tanner, in a 20-minute phone interview with Noem, asked for her thoughts on North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s recently announced candidacy in the 2024 GOP primary.
“Wouldn’t that be interesting? If there was South and North Dakota governors running for president? But no, right now I am so focused on South Dakota,” Noem said.
Noem was then asked about potential endorsements.
“I don’t think so," Noem said. "President Trump is in the race and right now I don’t see a path to victory for anybody else with him in the race and the situation as it sits today. But I think people should saddle up – it could be a roller coaster of a presidential race.”
During the interview, Noem said she stands with landowners in the contentious Summit Carbons pipeline battle. She also offered details on the next deployment of the South Dakota National Guard to the US-Mexico border, which she described as a “war zone.”