Kristi Noem keeps raking up the Ls in her efforts to be Donald Trump‘s #2.
The South Dakota governor’s latest stumble came earlier this week, when the state was ordered to pay a transgender advocacy group $300,000 for wrongfully terminating a contract with the organization. Attorneys for the Transformation Project sued last year after the state canceled the contract for a community health worker in 2022.
The agreement included a $136,000 state-administered grant, with the group receiving roughly $39,000.
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When Noem was asked about the grant, she expressed opposition to the government financially supporting the group. The Transformation Project cited her statements in its winning suit.
Noem tried to refuse the organization $39,000. Now, her administration will pay the group $300,000. That doesn’t seem like a great deal for her. Bigotry comes with a price!
“This settlement marks a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to civil rights advocacy,” lead attorney Brendan Johnson said, per NBC News. “We commend the resiliency of the LGBTQ community and remain committed to vigorously upholding their rights.”
The largest tribe in South Dakota banned Noem from its lands due to her extreme anti-immigrant rhetoric.
In a letter, South Dakota Secretary of Health Melissa Magstadt apologized to the Transformation Project.
“On behalf of the State of South Dakota, I apologize that the Transformation Project’s contract was terminated and for treating the Transformation Project differently than other organizations awarded Community Health Worker contracts,” she wrote.
“I want to emphasize that all South Dakotans are entitled to equal treatment under the law — regardless of their race, color, national origin, religion, disability, age, or sex. South Dakota is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subject to discrimination under any program, activity, or service that it provides.”
Nobody better slip that statement to the Fox News talent bookers or Noem might be banished from her favorite platform!
Despite governing a sparsely populated, rural state, Noem continues to insert herself into national issues–hoping to land that coveted Fox News spot.
Most recently, she’s presented herself as an immigration hawk, making a public stand with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in his legal battle with the Biden Administration over placing razor wire at the U.S./Mexico border (the Supreme Court ruled against Texas).
A couple of weeks ago, Noem traveled down to Texas to meet with Abbott. The two gay-hating governors received a briefing from Border Patrol agents and went on a boat tour with the Texas Department of Public Safety.
In a statement issued afterwards, Noem described the influx of migrants at the Southern border as an “invasion.” She tried to use South Dakota’s tribal lands as a political ploy, saying migrants are bringing drugs and human sex trafficking into their communities.
While Washington politicians are talking big, we’re taking real action.
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The president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Frank Star Comes Out, banned her in no uncertain terms.
“Due to the safety of the Oyate, effective immediately, you are hereby Banished from the homelands of the Oglala Sioux Tribe!” he posted on social media.
Since assuming office in 2019, she’s frequently used her platform to push far-right policies: banning drag shows, outlawing gender-affirming care for minors and creating a “whistleblower hot line” that encourages the public to report anything “woke” happening at state colleges and universities.
Her approach mirrors other attention-hungry Republican governors, who wage culture war battles while ignoring real issues in their states. Ron “Don’t Say Gay” DeSantis thought that strategy would lead him to the Republican presidential nomination.
Instead, he didn’t even last until New Hampshire.
But unlike DeSantis, who Trump suggested groomed children as a high school teacher, Noem is in the disgraced ex-president’s good graces. The biggest reason seems to be fealty.
“Kristi Noem has been incredible fighting for me,” said Trump in a recent Fox News interview. “She said ‘I’d never run against him because I can’t beat him.’ That was a very nice thing to say.”
A border deal discussion became heated between the lawmakers on the Senate floor.
Attractive and seemingly always wearing stilettos, Noem plays into Trump’s gender stereotypes as well. She also appears to have the hypocrisy down.
The “family values” politician regularly carouses with longtime Trump World figure Corey Lewandowski The Daily Mail claimed last September they were engaged in an extramarital affair.
Noem’s husband apparently moved out of South Dakota’s governor’s mansion a couple of years ago.
Despite those rumors, Noem continues to make her TV appearance. She was readily available Thursday to comment on Joe Biden‘s mental acuity, but actually wound up being part of a hilarious karmic blunder.
After mocking Biden for his press conference where he addressed questions about his memory, Fox News host Jesse Watters then welcomes on "South Carolina Governor Kristi Noem"
— So terrible that we have this senile Biden at the podium.
— And "South Carolina governor Kristi Noem joins us right now."
NO JOKE. He said that at 8:28pm ET. Check the tape.
[For the record: South DAKOTA gov K Noem]— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) February 9, 2024
The segment didn’t get any better from there. Noem used her time to spout wild conspiracy theories about… Democratic governors inventing COVID to elect Joe Biden in 2020?!
That seems to be her latest suggestion.
“They’re gonna figure out a way to do what they did in COVID. During COVID, there was a crisis, an emergency and a disaster, and they issued an emergency order,” said Noem. “In 2024, I think something will happen—whether manufactured or not—that will allow these governors in all of these states to write emergency orders to conduct their elections however they want to.”
Sure thing, sis. But hey! At least Noem did something positive this week. Just imagine how the Transformation Project will put her $300,000 contribution to use!
