Republican Governor Says It’s Time for Republicans to ‘Unite Behind’ Trump

Gov. Kristi Noem said that polls suggest the former president is still the overwhelming favorite.

South Dakota Governor-elect Kristi Noem (R) sits sits next to then-President Donald Trump and Florida Governor-elect Ron DeSantis (L) at the White House in Washington, on Dec. 13, 2018. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

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.

Ms. Haley, who is also the former Republican governor of South Carolina, saw an increase in support several weeks ago, from 6 percent to 16 percent, in Iowa, according to the poll. However, Ms. Haley hasn’t been able to get more than 16 percent in the most recent survey, the Register noted.

Meanwhile, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy is in fourth place at 5 percent, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has 4 percent, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has 1 percent.

An aggregate of recent polls from RealClearPolitics shows that President Trump has an even more significant lead over the competition. Nationally, he has 60.4 percent support, whereas Mr. DeSantis stands at 12.5 percent, Ms. Haley has 12.3 percent, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy has 5 percent, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has 2.9 percent.

After being considered a GOP presidential candidate early on in the 2024 cycle, Ms. Noem backed President Trump in September during an event, saying he is the “fighter that our country needs” and added she “will do everything I can to help him win and save this country.”

President Trump’s campaign has called on the Republican National Committee (RNC) to end all future GOP presidential debates, saying that his lead in the polls is too great and that Republicans should work in tandem to defeat President Joe Biden in 2024. The campaign also said he won’t be attending any future debates.

Other Endorsements

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who said he is leaving Congress at the end of this month, endorsed President Trump and said he would be open to serving in his administration.

“Yes,” Mr. McCarthy recently said during an appearance on CBS’s “Sunday Morning” when asked if the former president would be the nominee. “And if Biden stays as the nominee for the Democrats, I believe Donald Trump will win. I believe the Republicans will gain more seats in the House, and the Republicans will win the Senate,” he continued.

“I will support the president. I will support President Trump,“ he said before adding that he would serve in a Trump cabinet if he is given the ”right position.”

“Look, if I’m the best person for the job, yes. Look, I worked with President Trump on a lot of policies. We worked together to win the majority. But we also have a relationship where we’re very honest with one another,” he added.

On Monday, President Trump also secured the support of top Mississippi Republican officeholders, including both U.S. senators, eight of nine statewide officials, and all three members of the state’s congressional delegation.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), who is up for reelection in 2024, told a local outlet that he backs President Trump to help “return to the strong and effective economic, national security, and border security policies our nation enjoyed under President Trump.”

“Therefore, I am endorsing Donald J. Trump for another term in the White House and will be working to assist him in winning the Republican nomination for President in 2024,” Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) also said.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speaks during a press conference unveiling the results of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) investigation into the biolab discovered in Reedley, Calif., in Washington on Nov. 15, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

Before that, Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), who was elected in 2022, affirmed her support for the former president, saying he would achieve “peace through strength” if elected.

“And that’s why President Donald Trump has my endorsement to be our 47th President,” Ms. Britt said. “Results matter—and the results of his strong leadership as the 45th President of the United States are clear for all to see. These past three years have felt like an eternity, but I’m sure you recall how much better off we were under the Trump Administration.”

Compared with Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley, President Trump has secured by far the most endorsements from Republican governors, senators, and U.S. House representatives, according to a compiled list.