We know Mike Pence won’t be Donald Trump’s vice president if he gets elected. Could Kristi Noem fill the void in 2024?
He may have lost a little steam recently, but Donald Trump is still a coin flip at political betting sites to once again become President of the United States. BetOnline (find out more with our BetOnline Review) has Trump at +105 on their politics odds as we go to press, well ahead of Joe Biden (+210) and all the other names on their list.
However, we can pretty much guarantee this won’t be the same Republican ticket as 2016. Mike Pence will almost certainly not be Trump’s vice presidential running mate for 2024, not after those “Hang Mike Pence!” chants during the January 6 insurrection.
Former Vice President Mike Pence blames Donald Trump for endangering his family and “those serving at the Capitol” on Jan. 6. In the memoir “So Help Me God,” Pence shares his account of the day rioters stormed the Capitol, some chanting “Hang Mike Pence.” https://t.co/ugPGGbkOWI
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 15, 2022
Pence is still available at +10000 on BetOnline’s Republican vice presidential nominee odds, one rung below Ivanka Trump at +9000. The leader at press time: Kristi Noem, who checks in at +350. Here’s a quick profile on the woman who could become second in command of the United States.
Who Is Kristi Noem?
Noem is the governor of South Dakota, assuming office in 2019 after serving as the U.S. representative for their at-large district starting in 2011. Before that, Noem spent four years in the House representing South Dakota’s 6th district – the Fightin’ Sixth (tm Stephen Colbert).
If you’re already familiar with Noem, and you’re not from the Mount Rushmore State, you probably recognize her as one of the leading opponents of COVID-19 mask mandates. Not only did Noem refuse to implement these measures in her state, but she also recommended mass gatherings without social distancing at the height of COVID and instead spent pandemic relief funds to promote tourism. She even okayed the use of fireworks during Trump’s 2021 Independence Day speech at Mount Rushmore.
Noem’s politics echo those of Trump in many other ways, which we’ll get to in a moment. Otherwise, she appears to check off most of the boxes that Trump would want in a candidate: a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, still with some youthful zest at age 52, and very much a product of America’s Heartland.
Where Do Noem’s Politics Align With Trump’s?
Everywhere.
Noem has been in lock-step with Trump ever since he rose to power in 2016, even modifying her COVID-19 views after originally ordering South Dakota’s K-12 schools to close in March 2020. As a reward, Noem was allowed to speak at the Republican National Convention, thus elevating Noem’s profile and putting her on the fast track to become Trump’s next apprentice.
Here are some other areas where Noem aligns with Trump’s GOP:
- Energy: Noem wants to increase oil drilling and block EPA measures to regulate air pollution.
- Health care: Noem opposes the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, and supports cuts to Medicaid.
- Taxes: Noem wants to eliminate the estate tax and lower corporate taxes.
- Guns: Noem abolished South Dakota’s law requiring permits to carry concealed handguns.
- LGBTQ rights: Noem is against same-sex marriage, and signed a “religious refusal” bill into law that allows businesses to refuse services based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Migration and refugees: Noem supported Trump’s 2017 executive order instituting a 90-day ban on travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries, and a 120-day suspension of the U.S. refugee program. In 2021, Noem tried to send National Guard troops from South Dakota to the Mexican border, paid for via private donation; the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act made this illegal.
Noem is also a staunch anti-abortion advocate, although this is an area where Trump has moved further toward the right wing over time. Under South Dakota’s “trigger laws” following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, abortions are banned except when the mother’s life is in danger.
Will Noem Become Vice President?
She does appear to be in pole position for the Republican nomination. A straw poll at last month’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) had Noem tied with Vivek Ramaswamy as the preferred choices; Ramaswamy is the third betting favorite at +550, behind Noem and Tim Scott (+450).
There are still multiple candidates in this race, though. Noem and Ramaswamy reportedly tied atop the CPAC straw poll at 15%, followed by Tulsi Gabbard (+1000) at 9%. Scott was next at 8%, tied with Elise Stefanik (+800).
Noem’s CPAC speech did seem to resonate with the Republican crowd. And she’s been very busy stumping for Trump at every campaign stop. It seems like a match made – well, not in heaven, but maybe at Mar-a-Lago, where Noem met with Trump last week after the CPAC conference. Bet accordingly.
