Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) has not wavered in her defense of former President Donald Trump, despite him being found guilty in the secret trial in Manhattan.
Noem, who has been touted as a possible Trump vice presidential nominee, said on CNN’s State of the Union that she would oppose the former president against President Joe Biden “every day of the week,” ignoring the lawsuit in New York.
“If my choice is between Joe Biden and Donald Trump each and every day of the week, yes, I will choose Donald Trump. I’ve had it from the beginning. He’s someone I’ve been educating since 2016,” Noem said.
“I realized that he didn’t think he was better than anyone else in this country. He wanted to run for this position so he could serve the people here and fight for them every day,” she added.
The charges against Trump in the Manhattan case relate to an alleged falsification of business documents in connection with discreet cash invoices before the 2016 election. The jury in the case decided last week and the trial is expected to begin Monday.
The South Dakota governor has been seen as one of the most sensible contenders for Trump’s running mate, appearing alongside him at several rallies in his presidential campaign. Other nominees proposed for Trump’s vice presidential nominee include Sen. J. D. Vance (R-OH) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N. Y. ), who have also been staunch supporters of the former president.
When asked later on screen if she would have qualified for the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021, as then-Vice President Mike Pence did, Noem deflected the still-criticized Pence for not supporting Trump since his term ended.
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“I think he’s let Donald Trump down since that day,” Noem said Sunday on CNN.
“Because it doesn’t really recognize that we want in the White House those who want it on the track to protect it, instead of constantly criticizing it and backtracking and trashing it,” he added.