Kristi Noem is a four-term Congresswoman and the current Governor of South Dakota. In today’s authoritarian environment, with governors issuing diktats purporting to organize every facet of our lives, she has stood tall as a voice for freedom. Early in the COVID epidemic, Governor Noem gave a press conference in which she said that South Dakotans are free Americans, not subject to arbitrary orders from politicians. They are also smart: South Dakotans can look after their own health better than any government can. So her administration has put out a steady stream of data and advice, but she has refused to order anyone to do anything. And guess what: South Dakota has a very low level of COVID fatality and, last time I checked, the lowest unemployment rate in the country.
For her refusal to join the authoritarian tide, Governor Noem has been subjected to unending abuse from the likes of the Washington Post and the Associated Press.
When looting and arson erupted across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd, a riot began in Sioux Falls. Within minutes, Noem called out the National Guard to suppress criminal behavior. “Rioting and looting will not be tolerated in South Dakota,” she said.
With monument destruction the far-left craze of the moment, some have wondered whether Mount Rushmore will come under attack. Someday, perhaps, but not this day:
Not on my watch. https://t.co/U6gGap5Ib6
— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) June 23, 2020
On July 8, Center of the American Experiment will host Governor Noem in a webinar where she will explain her freedom-first approach to the COVID epidemic, and review the results she has obtained by respecting the intelligence of her constituents. I personally am looking forward to it, and will post the registration link as soon as it is available.
