South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, deleted two state-related social media accounts over the Fourth of July weekend without explanation, according to local media reports and an investigation of the accounts.
Noem’s formula @govkristinoem X Account With Governor Noem Facebook account Both are gone, a review of the now-shuttered pages shows: When Fox Digital checked the accounts on Sunday afternoon, her former X account displayed the message “This account no longer exists,” while her Facebook account displayed the page “This content is currently unavailable.”
“So when did Governor Noem delete the official Governor Kristi Noem Facebook page???” a Facebook user in a private Facebook group focused on the state of South Dakota asked over the holiday weekend. According to Sioux Falls Live.
The outlet reported that the two accounts were deactivated on July 4. Her personal X account @KristiNoem and her personal Facebook account remained active as of Sunday afternoon.
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Governor Kristi Noem visits “Varney & Co.” at the FOX Business Network studios in New York City on May 7, 2024. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Noem’s office multiple times on Sunday to ask why the account was suspended but did not receive a response. The office reportedly did not provide an explanation to Sioux Falls Live, instead pointing users to a new X-account called “Governor Noem’s Office.”
“For official updates from the Governor’s Office, including press releases, please follow @GovNoemOffice at X,” Noem spokesman Ian Furey told the outlet last week.
According to the account, Governor Noem’s office was launched this month and has several posts linking to press releases from the office. The account began posting press releases on July 3.
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Governor Kristi Noem speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on February 23, 2024 in Oxon Hill, Maryland. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Republican state Rep. Tony Benhuizen told Sioux Falls Live he doesn’t know why the governor deleted two state-related social media accounts, saying it’s quite common for public officials to have multiple X and Facebook accounts to separate their work on official duties from political campaigns and other issues.
“Political and personal accounts can express opinions and promote election campaigns, while official accounts provide information about state government activities, disaster responses, and a variety of other things,” Benhuizen told the outlet. “In general, it’s a good idea to keep them separate.”
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Noem had a combined total of more than 700,000 followers on both accounts before they were suspended. Noem’s X account was hugely popular during the pandemic as she campaigned for states across the U.S. to stay open during government-imposed lockdowns.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaks at a campaign rally on Nov. 2, 2022, in Sioux Falls. (AP Photo/Stephen Groves)
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The governor of South Dakota recently came under fire on social media from both conservatives and liberals after an excerpt from her new book, “No Going Back,” detailed how she killed an unruly farm dog named Cricket more than 20 years ago. In a statement posted to her X account in April, the governor defended killing the dog, explaining that “Cricket had been engaging in aggressive behavior, including biting people.”
