South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Monday suggested that the Republican Party and its voters “unite behind” former President Donald Trump, coming as he has continued to dominate in the polls just ahead of the crucial Iowa caucuses.
“We were told that as the [Republican primary] field shrinks, the polls would narrow,” Ms. Noem, a Republican, wrote on social media. She was making reference to claims made by backers of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, both 2024 Republican candidates.
But in recent days, the GOP field has shrunk but “support for President Trump has been growing, now sitting at over 50 percent,” or up from 43 percent in October, she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “It’s time to unite behind President Trump and focus all our efforts and resources on defeating Joe Biden,” she added.Ms. Noem was referring to a Des Moines Register poll of Iowa voters, which shows that he has 51 percent support among Republican voters in the state. The former president has a 32-point lead over Mr. DeSantis, who has 19 percent, and a 35-percent lead over Ms. Haley, who has 16 percent.
