The chair and co-chair of the South Dakota Democratic Party are calling for the removal of Gov. Kristi Noem’s communications chief from his position. Their demand comes in light of the governor’s book tour, which has generated controversy and concern.
Governor Noem has acknowledged that she removed a section from our book, “No Going Back,” which detailed a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Although she has not denied the occurrence of the meeting, she has consistently provided the same response in various interviews. In spite of narrating the audio version of the book, Noem explained that she had the passage removed “as soon as I became aware of it.” When pressed for more details, she has consistently maintained that she does not disclose her discussions with global leaders.
According to Democratic Party Chair Shane Merrill and Vice-chair Jessica Meyers, the stories cast a negative perception on South Dakota.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, critics expressed their concern about the salary of Ian Fury, stating that it is unfair for South Dakota taxpayers to pay him over $144,000 per year while he damages the reputation of the state and undermines the millions of dollars spent on promoting South Dakota nationwide. They emphasized that accountability is necessary, especially since Governor Noem is currently without a chief of staff. They described Fury’s actions as a complete failure in performing the fundamental tasks of a public relations job, specifically mentioning his failure to conduct proper fact-checking and review before allowing the publication of the Governor’s recent book.
The Center Square reached out to Fury for comment, but he didn’t respond immediately.
Noem, who was once seen as a potential running mate for Donald Trump, is facing criticism from fellow Republicans.
According to a statement made by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in Politico, the act of killing the dog and subsequently writing about it effectively eliminated any chance of her being chosen as Vice President.