South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem is rapidly falling off the big boards of many Republicans for potential 2024 presidential candidates over the way that she has handled a situation involving signing legislation into law that would protect girl’s sports.
Noem has faced considerable backlash for not signing the bill, which she initially said that she was excited to sign, after she was supposedly advised by legal experts that the state could lose lawsuits to the NCAA and potentially lose out on big business opportunities. Noem sent the bill back to the state legislature to make changes to it after she wavered on supporting it following pressure from groups in the state.
A spokesperson for Noem responded to criticism from conservatives over the ordeal by suggesting that she was a victim of conservative “cancel culture.”
“Governor Noem is very used to fighting off criticism from the left,” Noem spokesman Ian Fury said in an email. “After all, in the past year, she was the only governor in the entire nation to never order a single business or church in her state to close. The left bullied her incessantly, but she didn’t cave.”
“But if any number of conservative pundits are to be believed, that same governor who refused to cave is now caving to the NCAA and Amazon on the issue of fairness in women’s sports,” Fury continued. “What? Apparently, uninformed cancel culture is fine when the right is eating their own.”
Online, conservative pundits, Republican strategists, and reporters took issue with the statement from Noem’s spokesperson.
“This is a really bad approach for Noem to take… saying this as someone who built her career on managing Comms with conservative media for R candidates,” communications strategist Liz Mair wrote. “It would be a lot smarter to draw comparisons between Noem and Palin and move on.”
This is a really bad approach for Noem to take… saying this as someone who built her career on managing Comms with conservative media for R candidates. It would be a lot smarter to draw comparisons between Noem and Palin and move on. https://t.co/2IiUWdZULf
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 24, 2021
“Disagreement on policy or approach isn’t cancellation,” political commentator Dana Loesch said. “She’s not been removed from office or banned from anywhere. Doesn’t make a lot of sense for Noem or her advisers to use this line of defense here.”
Disagreement on policy or approach isn’t cancellation. She’s not been removed from office or banned from anywhere. Doesn’t make a lot of sense for Noem or her advisers to use this line of defense here. https://t.co/dOEeo8ig7U
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) March 24, 2021
“Goodness, it’s gone from just wrong to pathetic for Noem to be claiming in mass email she’s a victim of ‘conservative cancel culture,'” Podcast host Steve Deace said. “It’s not cancel culture to vet the beliefs of would-be national candidates. Cynical and shameless, and — again — pathetic.”
Goodness, it's gone from just wrong to pathetic for Noem to be claiming in mass email she's a victim of "conservative cancel culture." It's not cancel culture to vet the beliefs of would-be national candidates. Cynical and shameless, and — again — pathetic.
— Steve Deace (@SteveDeaceShow) March 24, 2021
“I don’t want to/believe in ‘canceling’ Kristi Noem,” political commentator Allie Beth Stuckey said. “Critiquing elected officials is not at all canceling. I really like Noem! I just disagree with her disagreements with the bill.”
I don’t want to/believe in “canceling” Kristi Noem. Critiquing elected officials is not at all canceling.
I really like Noem! I just disagree with her disagreements with the bill. https://t.co/zSmGtWXSvC
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) March 24, 2021
IWF Senior Policy Analyst Kelsey Bolar wrote: “No one is trying to cancel Kristi Noem. In fact, it pains many of us to criticize a governor who so many of us admire. But policy > politics.”
No one is trying to cancel Kristi Noem. In fact, it pains many of us to criticize a governor who so many of us admire.
But policy > politics. https://t.co/znrnbEJJjU
— Kelsey Bolar (Harkness) (@kelseybolar) March 24, 2021
“Ummm, whatever. But this does show you Noem understands she’s done a lot of damage to herself,” political commentator Ned Ryun said. “As in maybe taken herself out of 2024.”
Ummm, whatever. But this does show you Noem understands she’s done a lot of damage to herself. As in maybe taken herself out of 2024. https://t.co/sPftMwfhLp
— Ned Ryun (@nedryun) March 24, 2021
“The Chris Christie Rule: You’re just one gigantic mistake away from falling off the mountaintop,” political commentator Jesse Kelly said. “Doing my best to be patient with her. But looks like Noem found her moment. Oh well. Better now than later.”
The Chris Christie Rule: You’re just one gigantic mistake away from falling off the mountaintop.
Doing my best to be patient with her. But looks like Noem found her moment. Oh well. Better now than later. https://t.co/hnehY2lZuI
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) March 24, 2021