Political Roundup: Gov. Kristi Noem heads to Memphis, xAI and more
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 23. (Alex Brandon/AP file)
Shelby County Republican Party Chairman Cary Vaughn wanted former President Donald Trump’s running mate for the Memphis-area party’s annual Lincoln Day Gala.
So he put off the party’s largest annual fundraising event until June 23 in hopes Trump would have picked his vice-presidential choice by then.
And he as well as others thought there was a good chance Trump would pick South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
So that’s who the local GOP leaders booked for Lincoln Day.
But between the move to book Noem in April and the announcement this month, Noem’s position in the race to be Trump’s running mate changed considerably.
Politico reported in May Noem was all but off the list and what finished her prospects was a disastrous book launch. Noem wrote about killing a hunting dog and made a false claim in the same book that she met with North Korean leader Kim Jung Un.
Axios reported this month Trump’s advisers have requested financial and other documents from eight potential VP picks, and Noem is not one of the eight. Although, Axios also said Trump may go beyond the eight.
Noem has equal billing with state Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Eads, who is the major sponsor of the event again this year.
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Bill Dries
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for more than 40 years.
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