Noem’s office calls NYT article attempt to ‘generate palace intrigue’

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Gov. Kristi Noem’s office is repudiating an article in the New York Times regarding her recent interactions with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, saying the newspaper got “several basic pieces of information wrong.”

The article, published Friday, details Noem’s recent dealings with both Trump and Pence, including the governor’s efforts to get the president to attend an Independence Day fireworks show at Mount Rushmore.

On Monday, Noem’s Communication Director Ian Fury called the article a “bizarre attempt to generate palace intrigue.”

Fury did confirm one element of the article - that Noem gave Trump a replica of Mount Rushmore with his likeness on it - though he said the report did not include the context surrounding it.

While the Times report says there is “no indication” Trump is seeking to replace Pence as his running mate in November, the article does address speculation on the matter. Noem’s name has previously been thrown out as a possible candidate, though Noem herself maintains she is dedicated to staying in South Dakota. The article highlights Noem’s recent national attention within the GOP, including national press coverage - particularly on Fox News - over the Mount Rushmore fireworks show and her office’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the article, Noem recently visited Pence to reiterate her support for the Trump-Pence ticket. “She never stated it directly, but the vice president found her message clear: She was not after his job,” the report states. Fury tells Dakota News Now that meeting had nothing to do with how the Times framed it, saying the conversation focused on fighting COVID-19.

The Times report also delved into Trump’s alleged interest in having his face added to Mount Rushmore. The report states during the president’s visit to the memorial last month, Noem gifted him with a four-foot replica of Mount Rushmore that included his face with presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. Fury confirmed Noem did present the replica to Trump, but it was on behalf of two private donors who asked the governor to present it to him.

“Given that it’s not our gift, that’s all that I can share,” Fury said.

Ari Isaacman Bevacqua, a spokesperson for the New York Times, tells Dakota News Now the newspaper stands by its reporting.

Mount Rushmore likely a finished project

Regardless of political intrigue, any future additions to the memorial are unlikely.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial spokesperson Maureen McGee-Ballinger said while several groups and individuals have proposed adding likenesses to the sculpture over the years, it may be physically impossible. She said an engineering firm hired by the National Park Service to study the sculpture found there is no rock near the faces suitable for carving. Engineers also believe that should additional carving be undertaken, instability in the existing sculpture could occur.

In addition, McGee-Ballinger said the National Park Service takes the position that “death stayed the hand of the artist and the work is complete.”