Fox News host Tucker Carlson hammered South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for “caving” to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on legislation that would have kept transgender persons from participating with the opposite sex of their natural birth in student athletics.
“You said you were excited to sign it. Big business intercedes – NCAA, Chamber of Commerce and Amazon – and tells you not to sign it and you change your mind. I think a lot of our viewers are wondering your thinking on this and how exactly this happened,” Carlson said to Noem.
Noem disagreed with Carlson’s characterization of how the situation went down. She said she consulted with “legal scholars” on the legislation before deciding that she would oppose the bill.
“This bill would only allow the NCAA to bully South Dakota, and it would actually prevent women from being able to participate in collegiate sports,” she said.
“It would put a law on the books that would allow the NCAA to take punitive action against our state, and we’re a small state, Tucker. We have had to fight hard to get any tournaments to come to South Dakota,” Noem stated, adding that her lawyers would “very likely” lose the battle in the courts if she signed the measure into law.
Carlson made the point that Noem is essentially allowing the NCAA and a corrupt judicial system to hold the people of South Dakota hostage to LGBT insanity.
“This is thousands of years of common sense and tradition. Girls play girl sports. Boys play boy sports. Why not instead just say, ‘Bring it on NCAA! I’m a national figure. Go ahead and try and exclude us. I will fight you in the court of public opinion and defend principle!’ Why not just do that?” Carlson asked Noem.
“Tucker, you’re preaching my sermon. That’s just what I did today,” she responded.
“You vetoed the bill,” Carlson interjected.
The full exchange can be seen here:
While Noem wants to downplay her capitulation on this issue, Republican leaders in her state and conservative activist leaders nationwide are refusing to accept her excuses for this betrayal.
Big League Politics reported on how Noem vetoed legislation that would have protected female athletes from the creepy and bizarre transgender invasion:
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has effectively bowed to the LGBT agenda, gutting legislation that would protect athletes from the ongoing transgender invasion of sports.
The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) issued a press release exposing Noem for surrendering to LGBT insanity in female athletics.
“Today, Gov. Noem proposed changes to House Bill 1217 that would eliminate protections for female college athletes outright and gut the ability for all women and girls to have recourse against unfair policies in women’s sports,” wrote ADF General Counsel Kristen Waggoner…
“The recommended changes will substantially change the content of the bill. The legality was removed, which leaves the bill with a very weak authority. Removing the collegiate is simply saying that biology matters in high school, but not in college,” said Senator Maggie Sutton of Sioux Falls, who was the lead sponsor of the bill in the Senate.
Rep. Rhonda Milstead of Hartford, who introduced the bill in the House, has noted that Noem likely violated the state constitution with her statements.
“It is overreaching by trying to legislate law as the executive branch,” Milstead said.”
Noem is losing her luster shortly after former president Donald Trump called her a rising star and potential future presidential candidate in the GOP.