South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, who ran over and killed a man in 2020 and could be impeached soon, still has one high-profile fan.
Former President Donald Trump on Saturday evening gave Ravnsborg a shout-out during a political rally in Conroe, Texas.
“South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg,” the former president said (at the 40:23 mark in the C-SPAN video), even pronouncing his name—“Rounds-berg”—correctly. “Thank you for being here. Appreciate it.”
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The crowd cheered for the Republican state AG, likely a welcome sound. Ravnsborg has been under fire in his home state for a year and a half, with Gov. Kristi Noem, a Trump favorite, calling on him to resign or for the state legislature to impeach him.
“They like you in Texas,” Trump told Ravnsborg.
The South Dakota official was in Texas with other attorneys general touring the U.S.-Mexican border. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton invited the top law-enforcement officials from Arkansas, Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia to visit border spots on Thursday and Friday.
During his remarks, Trump also gave a shoutout to Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, and Indiana Attorney General Todd Roketa. He also shoe-horned an intro to pillow salesman and MAGA diehard Mike Lindell, along with Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert, noting he spotted the not-so-telegenic MAGA lawmaker in the crowd because “he’s very distinctive with that beautiful face.”
Gohmert may have enjoyed the attention, but he likely wasn’t too thrilled that Trump offered his “complete and total endorsement” to Paxton in the 2022 primary. After all, the ardently pro-Trump lawmaker is leaving Congress to challenge Paxton for the attorney general seat.
Meanwhile, Ravnsborg’s appearance wasn’t touched upon any further by Trump during his wide-ranging speech, as he rambled about numerous topics, including his false claims of a stolen election, Lindell’s ability to negotiate cheap ads on Fox News, and how he believes Texas will never turn blue.
The South Dakota attorney general could use the Trump feedback. Since he ran over and killed Joe Boever on Sept. 12, 2020, he has been the subject of widespread criticism in South Dakota.
Impeachment hearings—the first in state history—were launched in 2021, then put on hold while he dealt with three criminal charges for the fatal crash. But Ravnsborg was able to negotiate a plea deal, paying $500 fines for a pair of misdemeanors while a third count was dropped. He also paid more than $3,000 in court costs.
The South Dakota AG reached a settlement with Boever’s widow. And now, with his criminal and civil cases behind him, he has been making some public appearances while seeking the Republican nomination for a second term.
Two weeks ago, a special investigative committee of the South Dakota House of Representatives resumed impeachment hearings, hearing from a pair of North Dakota lawmen who investigated the fatal crash (the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation had to step aside in case, since it reports to Ravnsborg).
The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation agents said they believe Ravnsborg lied about not knowing what he struck when he killed Boever. Furthermore, they said, the attorney general not only saw Boever when his face went through the windshield of the car, but he walked past his pale, lifeless body on the side of the road following the crash.
“He walked by a flashlight that’s on,” special agent Arnie Rummel said. “There’s a body that’s laying within two feet of the roadway and obviously deceased and he’s all white, there isn’t any blood being pumped in him, and the fact white is reflective, I believe that he’d have to see him.”
The committee will meet again on Monday afternoon. If it votes to recommend impeachment, the matter would go to the full House. If it impeaches Ravnsborg, the state Senate would then hold a trial.
Ravnsborg’s appearance at a Trump rally, and being mentioned by the former president, could boost his chances to remain in office. Trump overwhelmingly carried South Dakota in both 2016 and 2020, as the state last voted for a Democratic presidential candidate in 1964.
Republicans have supermajorities in both legislative chambers. While Ravnsborg has taken a lot of fire from South Dakotans on social media, he still hopes to win this fall.
The state Republican Party, which is deeply conservative and strongly pro-Trump, will select its AG nominee at the state convention this summer.
