The spike of coronavirus that was supposed to come as a result of President Donald Trump’s speech at Mount Rushmore on July 3 never came according to Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD).
During an interview with Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” Noem said there were decreases COVID-19 metrics in her state.
“No, actually, we’re doing really good,” she replied when asked about a spike. “We would start to see that a few days ago, and we continue to decline. I think what we did here in South Dakota is really remarkable because we gave people their freedom. We let the businesses stay open. We let people go to work. We told them to be smart. And we also asked them to be personally responsible, and we’re seeing the benefits of that each and every day in South Dakota.”
Noem said she deferred to her citizens to make their own choices.
“In fact, we, according to the national experts, did everything wrong,” she said. “We did what the people on the ground saw. We aggressively addressed those situations and came out better for it, so I really think the people of South Dakota stepped up. They did the right thing, and they trusted me. I trusted them, and they made the right decision.”
When asked for what advice she would give to other governors around the country, Noem urged them not to “lay down mandates.”
You know, trust your people. Don’t lay down mandates that are going to hinder the ability that they need to really get through this difficult time. Trust them. Give them the facts. Let them make decisions that are right for their families.”
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor