Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) said having former President Donald Trump in the White House allows her to "be on offense" while campaigning with him Wednesday in Iowa, where the first caucuses will take place Jan 15.
"When Donald J. Trump was in the White House, and he was president of the United States, I got to be on offense," she said in an appearance on CBS News, adding that she's "excited" about him returning to the Oval Office. "I got to fight for my people, bring forward solutions to the problems that they're facing."
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However, with President Joe Biden, Noem said she is in a constant defensive position. "All I do is try to defend my people, protect their freedoms, try to keep the federal government out of their pockets and off their backs," she said.
.@KristiNoem: "I think we're just a few short weeks away from having our Republican nominee. It will be Donald J. Trump, and he will be the next President of the United States." pic.twitter.com/mE7fBaFtJH
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 3, 2024
Noem endorsed Trump's presidential bid last year and has been speculated as a potential running mate for him in 2024 should Trump win the Republican nomination.
The South Dakota governor traveled to Iowa Wednesday, where she spoke during a Trump commit to caucus event. Noem has pledged to be an active surrogate for the former president, claiming she will "do whatever I can that helps to get him across the finish line."
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While Noem hasn't appeared to fuel rumors of herself as Trump's 2024 vice presidential candidate, she did say former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley would be a mistake for him to select.
"If he picked her, I would tell him I disagreed with him," she said recently.