'Why Run If You Cannot Win?': Governor Kristi Noem Sounds Off On The GOP Primary, Praises Trump

On Wednesday, Governor Kristi Noem (R-SD) told Fox News's 'Fox And Friends' why she chose not to run for president -- and it's because of Trump's dominant performance in the Republican primaries thus far.

“Well, the fact is, none of them can win as long as Trump’s in the race. That is just the facts. So why run, if you cannot win? I’ve probably run 10 statewide races. I’ve won them all. I’ve never lost. If I get into a race, I’m gonna win. So that’s just how we do it," Noem explained. "And President Trump did some great things for our state and for our country. As governor — and everybody should be grateful for this — he let me do my job. When he was president, he let me do my job, and I appreciate that. Biden doesn’t do that.”

Noem's argument is backed up by the facts. No Republican competitor is currently within striking distance of Donald J. Trump, and, as such, this race remains Trump's to lose. 
 

This is not the first time Noem has expressed her optimism about Trump's 2024 chance. In June, Noem told South Dakota's KWAT, "President Trump is in the race and right now I don’t see a path to victory for anybody else with him in the race and the situation as it sits today," Noem continued. "But I think people should saddle up — it could be a roller coaster of a presidential race ... I think it’ll be unprecedented in what we’ll see. There’s a lot of unknowns and the person who may win may not even be in the race yet.”

While Noem shied away from outright endorsing Trump during the interview with 'Fox and Friends,' she did comment on Trump visiting the state and noted how impressive his rallies truly are. 

Noem has long been an ally of the 45th president. In 2020, she enthusiastically endorsed his reelection effort, saying at the 2020 Republican National Convention, "History chooses its heroes for the time in which they live. At our founding, Madison was one of the chosen. When the nation’s very existence was challenged it was Lincoln’s turn. Thanks to these men, America is a land of hope. Their examples have been repeated in countless ways by simple Americans following their consciences. But, there is another American hero to be recognized. That is the common American."

"This is who President Trump is fighting for. He's fighting for you," Noem concluded.