Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem criticized MSNBC host Joy Reid for comments she made about about Mount Rushmore on Presidents Day.
Reid called the national memorial “the stone idol to presidential colonizers” in a Feb. 15 segment of the “Reid Out,” and condemned Noem’s relationship with former President Donald Trump. Noem hit back on Twitter, writing, “The left wants to re-write our history by attacking the leaders who made America the most special country ever.”
“It’s our duty to teach our kids the truth,” she added.
Noem, a possible dark-horse contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has previously criticized Democrats for comments about Mount Rushmore. During the protests and riots over the Summer of 2020, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) claimed that Trump’s celebration of the Fourth of July at Mount Rushmore was “glorifying white supremacy.” Noem responded that “the DNC was doing a grave disservice to this country.”
Reid has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans for her inflammatory statements. A pro-LGBT media group rescinded an award it had previously offered Reid after homophobic blog posts, authored by the MSNBC host, surfaced in 2018. During a 2020 election night segment, Reid called Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, “Uncle Clarence,” in an apparent reference to the slur “Uncle Tom.”
