As his rivals hold town halls and meet-and-greets in early voting states, Donald Trump will head to South Dakota Friday for a party fundraiser that will double as an opportunity for the state’s governor, Kristi Noem, to showcase herself as a potential vice presidential pick.
Trump will join the South Dakota Republican Party for a “Monumental Leaders Rally” in Rapid City. Noem will appear alongside the former president and is expected to endorse him, creating an image of the pair that Noem’s allies hope looks like a presidential ticket, according to two senior Republicans familiar with her thinking who spoke on condition of anonymity because she had not yet made her endorsement public.
Trump’s decision to headline the event underscores his dominance of the Republican race even as he faces four separate indictments and 91 felony counts. South Dakota holds a late primary and isn’t competitive in a general election. But with a huge lead, Trump is skipping much of the traditional primary campaign. Instead of large-scale rallies, he is relying on state party events that offer large, friendly audiences at no cost to his campaign, while his political organization pays millions of dollars in legal expenses.
Friday’s event is something of an audition for Noem. She planned the event as a way to both offer her endorsement and maximize face time with Trump as he eyes potential 2024 running mates and cabinet members, according to one of the Republicans who spoke on anonymously. A spokesman for the governor declined to comment.
Noem will be term-limited in 2026 and, after declining to run for president this year, is eyeing her next move to maintain prominence in the GOP.
“I think Donald Trump has a 50-50 shot of getting elected at this point, so why not hitch your wagon to him if you can?” said Michael Card, a longtime observer of South Dakota politics who suggested Noem might also make a future National Rifle Association president or…
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