Noem slams Covid shutdowns, defends South Dakota record at CPAC



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Noem fought against mask warrants and encouraged a big motorcycle rally which saw hundreds of thousands of people attend. South Dakota has at times struggled to contain the pandemic, having seen the most cases and deaths per capita among states across the country, according to data compiled by the Washington Post.

Noem is firmly on the pro-Trump path among potential GOP 2024 contenders, many of whom spoke to CPAC. She meets donors in March at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago complex in Florida, a fundraiser for his re-election candidacy and the first fundraising event of this cycle hosted by Donald Trump Jr. .

In his speech on Saturday, Noem often followed Trump’s playbook, featuring Anthony Fauci, a favorite target of MAGA loyalists, saying his predictions about South Dakota’s plight with the virus were too dire.

“I don’t know if you agree with me, but Dr Fauci is very wrong,” Noem said to loud applause. She also called media coverage of her state’s response to the coronavirus a “lie” while denigrating New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who has been criticized for his nursing policies.

Like many other CPAC speakers, Noem leaned heavily on culture wars, arguing that there has been an “organized and coordinated campaign to remove and eliminate all references to the founding of our country and many other parts of our history.

“Trying to nullify the founding generation is an attempt to nullify our own freedoms,” Noem said. “Always remember America is good. Freedom is better than tyranny. We are unique, we are exceptional and no American should ever, ever apologize for this.

She also called for a new manual for conservatism, saying traditional GOP campaign issues like tax cuts and regulation “aren’t good enough anymore.”

“As curators we often forget that stories are much more powerful than facts and statistics,” Noem said. “Our stories need to be told. It is the only way to inspire and motivate the American people to preserve this great country.”

In a crowded group of potential candidates, Noem polled 1% in a recent POLITICO / Morning Consult poll on voter preference for 2024.

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