at the Lincoln Wish List Event.
WILL: PRESIDENT BIDEN IS TAKING
HEAT FROM GOP GOVERNORS FOR TOU
TING A FEDERAL PLAN FOR
COVID JUST ONE DAY AFTER
ADMITTING THERE IS NO FEDERAL
SOLUTION, TO FIGHT IT.
>> KAYLEIGH: SOUTH DAKOTA
GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM IS AMONG
THEM, SHE IS DEMANDING HE
RESCIND THOSE FEDERAL MANDATES
AND SHE JOINS US NOW TO EXPLAIN.
GOVERNOR NOEM, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR JOINING US HAPPY ALMOST NEW
YEAR TO YOU.
I LOVE THAT YOUR FIGHTING
AGAINST MANDATES, BUT IT APPEARS
AS YOU ARE FIGHTING AGAINST
MANDATES, BIDEN IS PONTIFICATING
NEW ONES, REPORTERS MANAGED TO
SHOUT A QUESTION AT HIM AS HE
TOOK HIS PUPPY TO THE BEACH
THERE IN ROHOBOTH, DELAWARE AT
HIS VACATION HOME AND ASKED HIM
ARE YOU UP FOR A MANDATE FOR
VACCINES IF YOU WANT TO
ENGAGE IN DOMESTIC AIR TRAVEL
AND HE WOULD NOT SHUTDOWN THAT
IDEA JUST YET.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?
>> YEAH IT’S INTERESTING TO ME
THAT THE PRESIDENT IS SO BOLD,
IN SAYING THAT THERE NO FEDERAL
SOLUTION, YET CONTINUING TO
IMPOSE MANDATES ON THE COUNTRY,
AND THE FACT IS THAT HE DOESN’T
HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO PUT THESE
MANDATES IN PLACE.
THAT’S WHY SOUTH DAKOTA AND MANY
OTHER STATES AND GOVERNORS AND
ATTORNEY GENERALS HAVE
CHALLENGED THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT ON THIS AUTHORITY, IN
COURT, THAT WILL BE HEARD HERE
IN JANUARY, AND WE’LL WIN.
WE’LL WIN BECAUSE THIS PRESIDENT
HAS TAKEN UNPRECEDENTED ACTION
TO IMPOSE ON THE LIBERTIES AND
FREEDOMS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AND SOMETIMES THE ONLY ONES THAT
ARE LEFT TO FIGHT ARE THE
GOVERNORS.
WILL: GOVERNOR NOEM, WHAT WOULD
YOU ASK OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AT THIS POINT?
WHAT HELP DOES SOUTH DAKOTA NEED
AND WHAT HELP DOES THE STATES
NEED IN FIGHTING THIS PANDEMIC?
>> WE REALLY THE THING THEY’RE
DOING THE MOST IS IMPOSING
RESTRICTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS ON
US.
THEY NEED TO BACK OFF.
WE REALLY NEED TO BE ABLE TO
TAKE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE.
WE’VE SHOWN THAT WE DO IT THE
BEST.
THEY’VE GIVEN US RESOURCES WHICH
IS THEIR ROLE AT DIFFERENT TIMES
TO MEET THIS PANDEMIC HEAD-ON
BUT THEN LET US BE FLEXIBLE.
LET US DO WHAT SOUTH DAKOTA DID.
USE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO
TRUST OUR PEOPLE, TO MAKE THE
BEST DECISIONS FOR
THEMSELVES AND THEIR
FAMILIES THAT’S WHY SOUTH DAKOTA
HAS THE NUMBER ONE ECONOMY IN
THE COUNTRY.
WE’RE GETTING THROUGH THIS
TOGETHER.
WE’VE GOT HISTORIC REVENUES AND
BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE RELOCATING
TO OUR STATE AND IT’S BECAUSE
PEOPLE RESPECT THE FREEDOM THAT
THEY CAN GET HERE FOR THEIR
CHILDREN AND THEIR GRANDCHILDREN
AND KNOW THAT IT WILL BE
PROTECTED.
LAWRENCE: THAT’S SO TRUE AND
THAT’S WHY THE FOLKS OF SOUTH
DAKOTA LOVE YOU AND I HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH
SOME OF THOSE FOLKS.
YOU’RE A NEW GRANDMOTHER AND
YOU’RE A MOM.
WE KNOW THE IMPACT OF THIS AND
PANDEMIC ON THE KIDS BUT IT SEEM
S LIKE WE’RE PREPARED TO
SHUTDOWN SCHOOLS AGAIN.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT,
MENTAL HEALTH, AND JUST FRANKLY
BEING BEHIND THE REST OF THE
WORLD.
>> WE ARE, BUT NOT IN SOUTH
DAKOTA, LAWRENCE BECAUSE OUR
KIDS WERE IN THEIR CLASSROOMS.
YOU CAME TO SOUTH DAKOTA MONTHS
AGO AND OUR KIDS WERE IN SCHOOL
THEN, THEY’VE BEEN IN SCHOOL THE
ENTIRE TIME AND THEY’RE
LEARNING AND THEY’VE GOT THE
LARGEST GAINS AND GROWTH IN
THEIR EDUCATION OF ANY OTHER
CHILDREN IN THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE
THEY WERE INTERACTING WITH THEIR
TEACHERS, THEY WERE IN THE SAME
SOCIAL SETTINGS THAT THEY’VE
ALWAYS BEEN IN.
THEY DIDN’T STRUGGLE LIKE THE
OTHER KIDS DID WITH
ISOLATION AND BEING ALONE, LIKE
SO MANY DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
LAWRENCE, EARLIER, YOU SAID
SOMETHING THAT SAID YOU WONDERED
IF WE’D EVER GET OUR CIVIL
LIBERTIES BACK IN THIS COUNTRY,
AND THAT’S ONE THING THAT I HAVE
WARNED ABOUT NOW SINCE WAY BACK
IN MARCH OF 2020, IS THAT WHEN
YOU HAVE A LEADER OVERSTEP THEIR
AUTHORITY, ESPECIALLY IN A TIME
OF CRISIS, THAT THAT’S WHEN YOU
BREAK THIS COUNTRY, AND WE SAW
SO MANY LEADERS DO THAT OVER THE
LAST YEAR AND A HALF, AND
WE’VE SEEN THAT THOSE CIVIL
LIBERTIES HAVE BEEN CONTINUED TO
BE DEGRADED AND LOST BY SO MANY
PEOPLE AND WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT
THAT THEY HAVE A BEACON OF HOPE
AND I THINK IN SOUTH DAKOTA WHAT
WE’VE DONE IN THE DECISIONS THAT
WE’VE DONE AND TAKEN AND ACTIONS
THAT WE’VE TAKEN HERE HAS SHOWN
PEOPLE THAT WHEN YOU DO PROTECT
THOSE FREEDOMS AND THOSE
LIBERTIES THAT IT REALLY
DOES CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES
AND A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE
PEOPLE THAT LIVE UNDER
THAT KIND OF AN ENVIRONMENT.
>> KAYLEIGH: GOVERNOR, I HAVE
A TWO-YEAR-OLD AND IT STRUCK ME
THE OTHER DAY THAT ALL SHE’S
EVER KNOWN IS COVID AND MASKS
AND THESE ONEROUS RESTRICTIONS
AND YOU KNOW IT MADE ME AS A
MOTHER REALLY WHEN YOU LOOK OVER
AT NEW YORK CITY AND YOU HAVE
5-YEAR-OLDS THAT WON’T BE
ALLOWED TO EAT IN RESTAURANTS IF
THEY AREN’T VACCINATED, IT’S
SIMPLY AMAZING.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE FREEDOM
-LOVING GOVERNOR WHEN
YOU LOOK AT A PLACE LIKE NEW
YORK CITY AND YOU SEE 5-YEAR-OLD
S FORCED TO EAT
OUT IN THE COLD IF THEY AREN’T
VACCINATED.
>> YEAH, I THINK IT SHOULD BE A
CHOICE OF FAMILIES OF PARENTS
AND GRANDPARENTS.
I’VE GOT A LITTLE GRANDDAUGHTER,
NAMED ADELINE, BUT I LOOK AT HER
FACE AND IT SEEMS LIKE FOR HOURS
, AND I’M AMAZED AT HOW
SHE WATCHES ME, THE ACTIONS THAT
I TAKE, SHE MIMICS, SHE LEARNS
FROM, SHE’S STARTING TO TRY TO
RECREATE SOME OF THE FACIAL
EXPRESSIONS THAT ALL OF US IN
THIS FAMILY DO WITH HER WHEN
WE’RE SPENDING TIME TOGETHER.
OUR CHILDREN ARE MISSING OUT ON
THAT.
THEY’RE MISSING THE OPPORTUNITY
TO LEARN AND TO SEE FACES AND
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS FROM EACH
OTHER BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY’RE
DOING IN THIS ISOLATED STATE AND
HAVING MASKS OVER THEIR FACES SO
IF FAMILIES ARE IN A SITUATION
WHERE THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING
LIKE THAT TO PROTECT HEALTH AND
IT MAKES THEM REALLY REASSURED
THAT THEY ARE TAKING THE RIGHT
ACTION AND STEP THEN CERTAINLY
DO THAT, BUT I DON’T THINK IT
SHOULD BE MANDATED BY THE
GOVERNMENT AND WHEN YOU GIVE
THE GOVERNMENT THAT KIND OF
AUTHORITY TO TELL YOU THAT YOU
HAVE TO ACT IN THAT WAY, THEN
IT’S THE PRECEDENT THAT THEY ARE
SETTING IN OTHER AREAS OF YOUR
LIFE IS REALLY INCREDIBLE.
WILL: YEAH, BOTH YOU AND
LAWRENCE’S POINT IT’LL BE HARD
TO RECLAIM THAT PERSONAL LIBERTY
BUT WE HAVE TO TRY.
GOVERNOR CHRISTIE GOVERNOR