South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is condemning activists calling for the removal of Confederate statues and other assets.
During the Fourth of July Celebration on Mount Rushmore, Noem delivered a message where she described her sentiments on “cancel culture” campaigns advocating for the removal of Confederate assets.
“Across America these last several weeks, we have been witnessing a very troubling situation unfold. In real-time, we are watching an organized, coordinated campaign to remove and eliminate all references to our nation’s founding and many other points in our history,” Noem said on Friday evening.
The Republican governor went on to share her opinion on the significance of the United States’ Founding Fathers as she described the removal of Confederate assets as being “done deliberately to discredit America’s founding principles.”
“The approach focuses exclusively on our forefathers’ flaws, but it fails to capitalize on the opportunity to learn from their virtues,” she added. “Make no mistake, this is being done deliberately to discredit America’s founding principles by discrediting the individuals who formed them so that America can be remade into a different political image.”
See Noem’s remarks below:
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem mentions that “we have been witnessing a very troubling situation unfold” in America in recent weeks and turns out she’s talking about [checks notes] threats to monuments, not the ongoing pandemic pic.twitter.com/6NWLyOWtEU
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 4, 2020
Noem’s remarks come amid protests and calls for an end to police brutality and racism: two economic and racially-charged problems in America that are often seen as embers of slavery, an institution supported by Confederate leaders.
Democratic lawmakers have voted to remove some Confederate statues while protesters in various cities have toppled statues.
However, President Donald Trump and some Republican lawmakers have expressed disapproval over the removal of Confederate elements.
Recently, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) voted against a bill to have Confederate statues removed from the Capitol.
At the time, Blunt noted Congress’ agreement with multiple states and claimed he wanted more information from the Rules Committee.
“I’d like to … get the opinion of people who are taking similar statues out of the building. I’d also like to find out what other states have in mind as their part of this agreement,” Blunt said.