BRIAN: WE MIGHT BE STARING AT
THE SAME SKY.
STEVE: HOPE SO.
AINSLEY: LET’S HEAD BACK OUT TO
THE HOME OF MOUNT RUSHMORE WHERE
LAWRENCE JONES IS LIVE WITH
GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM AS SHE
BATTLES THE WHITE HOUSE’S BAN ON
FIREWORKS DISPLAY.
HEY LAWRENCE, GOVERNOR.
>> HEY THERE, GOVERNOR, THEY
SAID HELLO IN STUDIO.
LOOK I’VE GOT TO TELL YOU GUYS
NORMALLY POLITICIANS ARE JUST
BORING, NOT THIS GOVERNOR.
SHE’S HERE EATING, SHE’S ALREADY
KILLED HALF OF THE CINNAMON ROLL
AND GETTING READY TO DESTROY
THIS PANCAKE.
GOVERNOR, IT’S SO GREAT TO BE
WITH YOU.
>> LAWRENCE THAT’S THE PROBLEM.
REPORTER: I LOVE IT.
THE BREAKING NEWS FOR YOU IS
THAT YOU’RE SENDING TROOPS FROM
HERE TO TEXAS TO AID WITH THE
BORDER.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE THAT
MOVE?
>> WELL, TYPICALLY, SECURING
THE BORDER BE THE RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT
OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT
DOING THEIR JOB, AND WE KNOW
THAT WE HAVE DANGEROUS PEOPLE
CROSSING THE BORDER, WE HAVE A
LOT OF DRUGS COMING INTO OUR
COUNTRY, WE HAVE A LOT OF HUMAN
TRAFFICKING GOING ON.
THE GOVERNORS OF TEXAS AND
ARIZONA HAVE ASKED US FOR HELP,
AND THIS IS A MISSION THAT
NATIONAL GUARD IS TRAINED AND
EQUIPPED AND DOES WITH
EXCELLENCE, SO WHEN THEY MADE
THE REQUEST TO ME, I STARTED
RUNNING THE PROTOCOLS, ASKING IF
WE HAD VOLUNTEERS OF MY NATIONAL
GUARD THAT WOULD WANT TO DO THIS
MISSION AND HAD MORE THAN I
COULD POSSIBLY ANTICIPATE.
REPORTER: GOVERNOR YOU ACTUALLY
WENT AND TALKED WITH THOSE MEN
AND WOMEN AND THEY VOLUNTEERED.
>> THEY VOLUNTEERED TO GO,
BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS TO SECURE THAT
BORDER, AND IN FACT, THEY CAME
BACK AND SAID WE HAVE MORE THAT
WOULD LIKE TO, IF THIS IS A
MISSION THAT NEEDS TO LAST
LONGER THAN THE ORIGINAL 30 DAYS
WE’RE PLANNING BUT THIS IS, OUR
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WOULD
HAVE GONE TOO.
THE QUESTION FOR US IS MOST OF
THESE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
YOU SEE GOING FROM OTHER STATES
ARE GOING FOR 14 DAYS DEPLOYMENT
IT’S NOT GOING TO BE OVER IN 14
DAYS, IN FACT IT’S GOING TO GET
MUCH WORSE AND THE NATIONAL
GUARD IS USED TO BEING THERE,
GETTING A MISSION, ACCOMPLISHING
IT, AND BEING IN SITUATIONS
EXACTLY LIKE THEY’RE GOING TO
SEE AND ENCOUNTER DOWN THERE ON
THE BORDER.
IT’S DANGEROUS AND THEN THEY
COME HOME.
SOUTH DAKOTA HAS HAD THE NUMBER
ONE RANKED NATIONAL GUARD UNIT
IN THE COUNTRY, FOR THE LAST
THREE YEARS SO I HAVE THE BEST.
I HAVE THE BEST AND I’M GOING TO
SEND MY BEST, BECAUSE THIS
COUNTRY DESERVES THE BEST.
REPORTER: AS A TEXAN WE SAY
THANK YOU BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN
HIT THE HARDEST.
I’VE GOT TO PIVOT TO SOMETHING
THAT IS NEAR AND DEAR TO YOUR
HEART, THE CELEBRATION ON MOUNT
RUSHMORE, OUR HISTORY.
>> YOU GUYS WERE ABLE TO DO THAT
UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP.
HE CAME AND WAS HERE WITH THE
PEOPLE.
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS
SAYING NO.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS DRIVING
THIS DECISION?
>> WELL SEE , WE HAVE THE
FIREWORKS AT MOUNT RUSHMORE
FOR YEARS.
IT WASN’T UNTIL PRESIDENT OBAMA
CAME INTO OFFICE THAT THEY TOOK
IT AWAY.
HE MADE THE DECISION TO PULL IT
BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS,
SO AS SOON AS I BECAME GOVERNOR,
EVEN I WASN’T EVEN SWORN IN YET
I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND SAID WOULD
YOU EVER HELP US GET BACK OUR
CELEBRATION AT AMERICA’S
MONUMENT, THE ONE THAT
RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR
FOUNDING FATHER FATHERS, THAT
CELEBRATES OUR INDEPENDENCE AND
FREEDOMS, AND HE SAID YOU WANT
FIREWORKS AND YOU WANT ME TO
HELP YOU AND I SAID YES, AND HE
SAID I’LL DO IT.
TOOK US A YEAR AND A HALF TO DO
ALL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
, TO DO THE BACK BURNING
NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE AREA
FROM FIRE DANGER, AND WE DOUBLE
DOPPLER EVERY SINGLE REQUIREMENT
THAT WAS LAID OUT IN THE
PROTOCOL TO GET THE
CELEBRATION BACK AND
LAWRENCE I HOPE YOU WATCHED IT
LAST YEAR.
IT WAS FANTASTIC.
IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC AT
MOUNT RUSHMORE ON JULY 3RD THE
COUNTRY UNIFIED.
WE SAW RIOTS AND VIOLENCE
HAPPENING IN EVERY OTHER STATE
IN SOUTH DAKOTA STEPPED UP AND
HOSTED A CELEBRATION OF PEOPLE
THAT LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND WERE
PEACEFULLY GATHERING TO
RECOGNIZE HOW UNIQUE THIS
COUNTRY IS, SO WE WANT TO
DO THAT EVERY YEAR.
REPORTER: WHAT CHANGED, GOVERNOR
WHAT IS DRIVING THIS , BECAUSE
YOU KNOW, I’VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT
THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.
YOU ADDRESSED THOSE CONCERNS?
>> WE DID.
REPORTER: I’VE HEARD YOU TALK
ABOUT THE GAME DAY ACTION PLAN
FOR IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG,
THAT YOU CAN PULL THE CORD ON
THAT.
WHY IS THAT DIFFERENT FOR THIS
YEAR?
>> IT’S NOT.
BIDEN JUST DECIDED NOT TO LET US
HAVE IT.
LITERALLY, JUST WOULD REFUSE TO
ISSUE US THE PERMIT TO BE ON
THAT FEDERAL PROPERTY RIGHT
THERE.
THERE IS A FEDERAL LAW, BECAUSE
I’VE SUED THEM OVER THIS ,
THERE’S A FEDERAL LAW CALLED THE
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
ACT WHICH SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TO
GIVE US A REAL REASON FOR WHY
THEY DENIED US THE OPPORTUNITY
TO BE THERE, AND TO CELEBRATE.
WE MET THE ENVIRONMENTAL
CONCERNS, WE MET THE FIRE DANGER
PROTOCOLS, WE’VE CONSULTED WITH
THE STATE, LOCAL AND FEDERAL
OFFICIALS.
WE’VE DONE THE CONSULTATIONS
WITH THE TRIBES.
WE MET EVERY SINGLE PROTOCOL.
THERE WAS NO REASON TO DENY US
THIS PERMIT UNLESS IT WAS FOR
POLITICAL REASONS.
REPORTER: THAT’S WHAT THE PEOPLE
ARE SAYING GOVERNOR, THANK YOU
SO MUCH.
I’M GOING TO SEND IT BACK TO YOU
GUYS IN NEW YORK.
BRIAN I KNOW YOU’RE JUST
STANDING WITH WITH A QUESTION
FOR THE GOVERNOR.
BRIAN: ABSOLUTELY, HOW MANY
BUFFALO DID YOU WRANGEL THIS
MORNING BEFORE YOU GOT UP
FOR WORK?
THIS WOMAN STARTS AT DAYBREAK.
REPORTER: BRIAN IS SAYING HOW
MANY BUFFALO DID YOU WRANGEL
BEFORE YOU GOT UP TO GO TO WORK?
>> [LAUGHTER]
AINSLEY: THEY ALL LOVE IT.
>> [APPLAUSE]
>> IT’S THE BEST WAY TO WAKE UP
IN THE MORNING.
BRIAN: THAT’S A LOT.
>> WRESTLE A FEW BUFFALO AND
YOU’RE PREPARED FOR BIDEN.
>> [LAUGHTER]
AINSLEY: THAT’S GREAT.
LAWRENCE, YOU KNOW WHEN BRIAN
WENT TO MOUNT RUSHMORE, YOU
ACTUALLY WENT BEHIND THE HEADS?
BRIAN: I ACTUALLY SAT ON THE
HEADS IN THE BACK, THERE’S
STAIRS IN THE BACK IT’S PRETTY
AMAZING.
AND I KNOW IT’S SAFE FOR
FIREWORKS.
REPORTER: BRIAN IS TALKING ABOUT
WHEN THEY WENT TO MOUNT RUSHMORE
, HE GOT TO SIT OUT
THERE ON THE HEAD BUT YOU DIDN’T
HEAR THIS BUT THE GOVERNOR WAS A
LITTLE UPSET BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T
COME DOWN HERE TO HAVE BREAKFAST
WITH HER TODAY.
BRIAN: OH, YOU KNOW WHAT?
WE CAN ONLY AFFORD TO SEND ONE
PERSON FIRST CLASS, AND YOU’RE
IT.
STEVE: CONGRATULATIONS.
REPORTER: THEY CAN ONLY AFFORD
TO SEND ONE PERSON FIRST CLASS.
[LAUGHTER]
>> [LAUGHTER]
REPORTER: THANK YOU, ALL.
BRIAN: YOU’RE BETTER OFF HE’S A
LOT NICER.
STEVE: THANK YOU LAWRENCE AND
GOVERNOR.