Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) heartily endorsed former President Donald Trump on Friday night, saying the other candidates snubbed her state, in what sounded like an audition to be his running mate.

Noem made an impassioned case for South Dakota as the real model for conservative governance nationwide, “the strongest state in America,” beginning with her refusal to lock down during the pandemic.

CHRISTIE SUPER PAC UNDERSCORES HIS 'FIGHTER' RECORD IN FIRST NEW HAMPSHIRE RADIO AD

Trump and Noem appeared together at the South Dakota GOP Monumental Leaders Rally in Rapid City.

"He has my full and complete endorsement for President of the United State of America," Noem said. "I will do everything in my power to help him win to save this great country."

While the overt target of Noem’s remarks was President Joe Biden, the line of argument is also useful to Trump in his battle with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for the nomination.

DeSantis has presented Florida as the model for Republicans to follow and positioned himself to the right of Trump on the pandemic response, pointing to the former president’s role in elevating Anthony Fauci and like-minded people.

Noem said she might not have been able to avoid lockdowns if Biden was in office.

“Thank God President Trump was in the White House at the time,” she said. “He let me do my job.”

Noem went back and forth between praising her own record and Trump’s, suggesting that the other candidates didn’t have the same willingness fight. She described them as “cowering” during COVID.

The South Dakota governor said Trump cared about “little people in little states.”

“Other candidates were asked, and all of them told us they had better things to do,” Noem said. “But when President Trump was invited to come be with you tonight, he said, ‘I will be there.’”

Noem invoked Theodore Roosevelt calling Trump “the man in the arena” as people waved Trump 2024 — a few Trump-Noem — placards behind her.

Trump praised South Dakotans as God-fearing patriots as he began his own speech.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“Kristi is a warrior,” Trump said, calling her endorsement a “great honor.

“Hers means a lot,” he said.