Running for Something
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has long been rumored to be a possible candidate for the Republican nomination for president. I get asked about it a lot, including from folks in her state.
Last week, in an interview with a radio station in her home state, she was asked about running for president; she said she was not and was fully focused on South Dakota right now. That’s as close to a true denial as you’ll get, with the door open just a crack.
She was then asked if she was going to endorse anyone. She shared that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum had called to ask for an endorsement, but she said she would not endorse anyone. She added that only one Republican had a real path to the nomination at this point, and that is Donald Trump.
Without saying so, it sounds like Gov. Noem did the same thing former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did earlier…visit early states, get a sense of the landscape…and then not move forward so long as Trump is in the race, given his large popularity.
Whether she meant to or not, Gov. Noem with those statements became the front-runner to be a Trump vice-presidential choice. Trump values loyalty above all else—just ask Ron DeSantis. By not running for the top job, by not challenging Trump, she may be more appealing as an addition to a Trump ticket than anyone opposing Trump in the presidential race.
Realistically, being vice president in a second Trump Administration may be a perfect launching point for a presidential run in 2028.
Sometimes, the less action taken now, the better for later.
