South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is set to endorse Donald Trump for president in 2024 at a Friday campaign rally, two people familiar with her plans told CNN on Thursday. The governor hasn’t always been so rosy on Trump 2024; within a day of his announcement last November, The New York Times quoted her as saying he wasn’t “the best chance” for the GOP. In June, Noem insisted she wasn’t planning to endorse anyone in the primaries, explaining she didn’t see “a path to victory” for anyone as long as Trump was in the race. Last month, however, she sounded slightly more equivocal about Trump, saying on Fox and Friendsthat he had “let me do my job” as governor. Asked if she would make an endorsement, Noem noted that tickets to this Friday’s rally had sold out in less than a day. “He is inspirational. People always show up to hear something interesting,” she said. “And yeah, you’ll hear something from me, too.” The report of her impending endorsement raises the specter of her role in a new Trump administration should he win. Noem recently told Sean Hannity that “of course, I would consider” an offer to be Trump’s vice president if it were made.
