It’s Great To Be In…Wherever I Am
This past Sunday, on his way back from Las Vegas, Donald Trump stopped in Sioux City for a campaign appearance. His remarks got off to a rocky start, when he committed the unforgivable sin of saying how great it was to be back in Sioux Falls.
Trump supporters say it’s an honest mistake, that each stop on the road looks the same…but we know Trump foes, both Democrats and Republicans, are having a field day with the gaffe. And we know that lots of folks defending Trump would have pounced if Joe Biden had made a similar mistake…because he has, and they did.
One of the early Iowa supporters was former congressional candidate and current state lawmaker Brad Zaun. Trump introduced him for some time at the podium, and as he finished, he could be heard telling Trump he was in Sioux City, not Sioux Falls. Trump got the message, and then used the phrase “Sioux City” about a zillion times during the rest of the speech. Nice save, but you can’t unring that bell.
Some are suggesting it’s a mental slip. Instead, I say it’s because he has South Dakota and its largest city, Sioux Falls, on his mind because he’s determined he’s going to select that state’s governor, Kristi Noem, as his running mate if he wins the nomination.
Recall that she herself did not run because, as she said publicly, Trump would easily win. And she publicly endorsed him at a South Dakota rally.
Not long after that, Kari Lake—the Iowa native and TV anchor-turned-candidate who ran for governor of Arizona last year—publicly announced that she was seeking the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate from that state. Not too much to presume that Trump settled on Noem, then informed Lake—who was rumored to be under consideration—so Lake then committed to the Senate race?
If Trump runs and wins, you have to presume he’s not running again in 2028…which means his vice-president would be the heavy favorite to succeed him. That would put Noem in a good position…and may explain why this past week, to Trump Siouxland meant Falls and not City.
