Does South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem want to be Donald Trump’s vice president if he is the Republican nominee and beats Joe Biden in November? It sure sounds like she’s making a pitch for the job.

Governor Noem is in Iowa today campaigning for Donald Trump. She describes the former president as “the only person who can right the ship.” She will be in Sioux City, Iowa today on behalf of the Trump campaign. When she was asked about being Trump’s running mate she said that she and Trump “work really well together.” She also said she and Trump will “talk about that when it’s time to make a decision on that.” If you ask me, she’s going after the job.

Noem is in her second term as governor of South Dakota. She will be the headline speaker at a campaign event tonight. With less than two weeks left before the Iowa caucuses, it’s time for the candidates to pull out all the stops. Noem’s team says 2,100 people have RSVP’d for the event. The Iowa caucus is on January 15.

Governor Noem has been a loyal Trump supporter. She refuses to criticize Trump for his actions on January 6, 2021.

When asked whether Trump had any responsibility for the insurrection, she said, “What happened on January 6 was horrible and should never happen again in this country. What I want to do is look forward and make sure that we continue to have fair and transparent elections that people can trust.”

Amid a reckoning in the GOP over Trump’s actions, Noem has deflected blame from Trump and at times struck a combative tone against Democratic politicians. In the days after the Capitol insurrection, Noem falsely called the two Democrats who won Georgia’s Senate elections “communists.”

Heh.

She teamed up with Trump in Iowa during a rally in Rapid City in September.. She accepted an invitation to do some events for Trump right before the caucuses. I assume this event in Sioux City is one of those events. She thinks the people in Iowa are like those in South Dakota, with the same values and Midwest culture. “The best gift I was given as governor was that he let me do my job when he was in the White House. He helped me solve problems during COVID. He let me make the best decisions for my people,” Noem emphasized.

In contrast, conservative critics of Trump say he went along with Anthony Fauci too much and for too long. He let Fauci lead when others realized it was the wrong move to shutdown the country and insist on mandates. Trump awarded Presidential Commendations in recognition of efforts on Operation Warp Speed, including Fauci: It’s something to remember when Trump talks about his handling of COVID-19 on the campaign trail.

The governor speaks with Trump regularly. Her most recent call with him was on Monday evening. She assured him that she will do whatever she can to “help him across the finish line.” It’s not a surprise as she endorsed Trump last September. She is trying to play coy now as speculation swirls around that she aspires to serve as Trump’s vice president. She said it was not a topic in their conversation on Monday.

Noem has been busy lately doing commercials advertising the abundance of jobs available in South Dakota.

“We’ve got close to 20,000 open jobs in South Dakota,” the governor says in the commercial. “South Dakota is the freest state in the nation. We work hard, but we don’t pay any state income tax, so you get to keep more of your own money.”

Choosing a governor would be a good move for Trump. Say what you will about Mike Pence but he was a good choice for Trump. He was exceedingly loyal to Trump and didn’t try to shine too much light on himself, though Trump put him in charge of the White House COVID-19 response team. Governors bring a treasure trove of experience to the job and Noem would, too. Plus, like Pence, Noem has experience in the House of Representatives.

I look for her to say yes if Trump asks. She likely has her own presidential ambitions and being vice president gives her a foot in the door.