South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem called Democrats' move to impeach President Donald Trump an "unprecedented action to destroy our democracy" on Fox News Thursday.
Ainsley Earhardt: "Stark contrast yesterday when you see Nancy Pelosi signing the impeachment articles and sending them to the Senate, and then you see our president signing this that helps our farmers." pic.twitter.com/Sehwanzw8L
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) January 16, 2020
Noem praised Trump for signing a phase one trade agreement with China on Wednesday, while, she said, Democrats were "playing games. " Noem said the president "never left his foot off the gas in fighting for everyday families," while Democrats moved forward with the impeachment.
Noem also said Trump helped working Americans, despite the distractions from impeachment. "We've got people every single day in this country doing the work to make sure that their families are taken care of. They're paying their bills, and they're helping this country be successful, creating jobs, and the president just never stops," she said. "No matter what the distractions are, he keeps working and follows through on his word."
The governor attended Trump's signing on Wednesday with two South Dakota farmers. In the deal, Beijing agreed to purchase an additional $200 billion in American products and services by 2021 and to reduce some tariffs placed on U.S. imports. The Trump administration agreed to cancel planned tariffs on imported products from China, including laptops, cell phones, and toys. Trump also cut the tariff rate to 7.5 percent on about $120 billion worth of Chinese goods.
Noem called the agreement "historic" and said farmers and ranchers are "thrilled" with it. "Our farmers and ranchers in South Dakota are thrilled that this is through phase one, that they now have the ability to do what they do best, and that's feed the world," she said.
In a statement to Newsweek, Noem called the deal a win for South Dakota farmers and ranchers. "The agreement President Trump locked in today is an incredible economic victory for South Dakota producers," the governor said in an email. "This historic deal opens up new markets and advances opportunities for farmers and ranchers to do what they do best: feed the world."
In December, the governor appeared on Fox prior to the impeachment vote to discuss the impact on Midwest voters. When asked if the impeachment would backfire on Democrats, Noem responded: "I think we're already seeing it backfire on them." "I think people are seeing that these are all unfounded impeachment facts that they've brought forward," she added. "There's nothing there of substance that people can look at and point to of why we should be going through these proceedings." She said more Midwestern voters were concerned about the trade agreements than impeachment.
