Trump deploys Kristi Noem to do his dirty work

Created
Tue, 17/01/2023 - 11:00
Updated
Tue, 17/01/2023 - 11:00
If this is true, he’s being unusually subtle about it: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn’t even declared whether he’ll run for president in 2024, and Donald Trump has tried to restrain himself from going after his top GOP rival, but the former president’s allies are already mounting an offensive—with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem now leading the charge. Noem may be interested in running for president herself, and therefore would have good reason to go after DeSantis, but she also may be angling for a different role: Trump’s vice president. Earlier this month, Noem’s press secretary, Ian Fury, took a shot at DeSantis seemingly from out of nowhere. Fury sent a follow-up email to the National Reviewfor an article ostensibly about “the transgender lobby’s outsized influence in South Dakota.” Fury went on a tirade—against DeSantis. “Governor Noem was the only Governor in America on national television defending the Dobbs decision,” Fury said, referring to the Supreme Court decision overturning federal abortion protections. “Where was Governor DeSantis? Hiding behind a 15-week ban. Does he believe that 14-week-old babies don’t have a right to live?” After cruising to re-election by almost 20 points without facing a primary challenge or having to do a single interview with a non-friendly conservative media outlet, DeSantis is now facing his first real test from the right—this largely one-way feud with Noem. “I think what Noem gets out of this is currying favor with Trump and raising her stock as a potential VP pick,” a Republican strategist told The Daily Beast, adding that Trump advisers see Noem…