Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) is not wavering in her support of former President Donald Trump, even if he is convicted in the hush money trial in Manhattan.
Noem, who has been floated as a potential vice presidential candidate for Trump, said on CNN’s State of the Union that she would support the former president over President Joe Biden “every single day of the week,” dismissing the trial in New York City.
“If my choice is between Joe Biden and Donald Trump every single day of the week, yes, I will support Donald Trump. I have from the very beginning. He has been someone that I have supported since 2016,” Noem said.
“I recognized that he didn’t think he was better than anybody else in this country. He wanted to go run for this office so he could serve the people here and fight for them every single day,” she added.
The charges levied against Trump in the Manhattan case are tied to alleged falsification of business records in relation to hush money payments prior to the 2016 election. The jury for the case was selected last week, and the trial is expected to begin on Monday.
The South Dakota governor has been speculated as one of the leading contenders to be Trump’s running mate, appearing alongside him at several rallies during his presidential campaign. Other names floated for Trump’s vice presidential nominee include Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who have also been fierce defenders of the former president.
When asked later in the show if she would have certified the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021, as then-Vice President Mike Pence did, Noem deflected the question but did criticize Pence for not supporting Trump since the end of his term.
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“I think that he’s failed Donald Trump since that day,” Noem said on CNN on Sunday.
“Because he certainly does not recognize that we need someone in the White House who needs him out on the trail advocating for him, instead of constantly criticizing and going back and ripping him apart,” she added.
