PRESIDENT TRUMP ENDORSES MIKE ROUNDS FOR SENATE

PRESIDENT TRUMP ENDORSES MIKE ROUNDS FOR SENATE

PIERRE: Today, President Donald J. Trump officially endorsed Mike Rounds for his re-election to the United States Senate.

President Trump posted the following message on social media:

“An America First Patriot, Mike is fighting tirelessly to Advance the Great Values of the Mount Rushmore State, Champion our Farmers and Ranchers, Strengthen the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Ensure American Energy DOMINANCE, Help Secure our already Highly Secure Border, Support our Brave Military, Veterans, and Law Enforcement, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment. Mike Rounds has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election – HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

“I appreciate President Trump calling me today to offer his endorsement,” said Senator Mike Rounds. “Together, we’ve delivered real results for South Dakota, and we’re just getting started. While I haven’t officially launched my re-election campaign, you will be hearing from me shortly.”

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Shouldn’t SDGOP Chair Eschenbaum be busy fundraising instead?

After his less-than-stellar performance this last month attacking Senator Rounds and only raising $85 for the South Dakota Republican Party, you would think that Chairman Jim Eschenbaum would be busy out doing something… say, beating the bushes to raise money for the State Republican Party?

Well, according to this facebook post I was just sent, it looks like instead of running the Republican Party, he’s going to be out fronting the Mueller family La Leche League/put a new giant tax on everything meetings:

Johnson Bill to Prohibit Infrastructure Funding from Sanctuary City Abuse

Johnson Bill to Prohibit Infrastructure Funding from Sanctuary City Abuse

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) introduced legislation to prohibit the Department of Transportation from providing any federal funds to sanctuary cities.

“Anti-ICE protestors in sanctuary cities have vandalized roads, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure to make a political statement,” said Johnson. “Local authorities allow these protestors to destroy property then turn around and ask the federal government to foot the bill. This type of behavior is beyond the pale. My bill sends a message to state and local governments – if they want the federal government’s help, they gotta play by the rules.”

Secretary Duffy expressed support for Johnson’s bill. Click here or the image above for their remarks.

Background:

Federal immigration officials are working to deport criminal illegal aliens in cities and communities across the United States. In doing so, several “sanctuary cities” have sought to limit immigration officials’ access to information or act in defiance of lawful detainers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Under the Biden Administration, sanctuary cities like Boston housed migrants in our nation’s airports. Other city officials have gone so far as to call for violence against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

On April 28, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14287, “Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens,” which affirms that sanctuary cities who refuse to comply with federal immigration laws may lose federal funding.

Following the recent violent riots in Los Angeles, California, in response to immigration enforcement actions from ICE, Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy announced that no federal funds from DOT would be provided to any cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials. This is echoed in Secretary Duffy’s priorities as part of the DOT’s policy guidance for programs.

The No DOT Funds for Sanctuary Cities Act is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Brian Babin (R-TX), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), Dave Taylor (R-OH), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), Pat Harrigan (R-NC), and Claudia Tenney (R-NY).

Click here for bill text.

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A new item for my collection: The Kristi Noem/Kid Rock buffalo chip pin

Just had a co-worker gift these to me after I noticed them – a joint Gov Kristi Noem/Kid Rock button/bumper sticker set from the Buffalo Chip last year that I did not know existed.

Joint events with musicians and politicians have a bit more cross appeal and value, and this was obviously a low-number run of pins. The most famous example is the McGovern for President Pin with Carole King, James Taylor and Barbara Streisand.  Otherwise, I’m not sure there is another South Dakota based example to cite!

Very glad to add it to my South Dakota collection.

Guest Column: In politics, “What’s past is prologue” by Kristi Golden

Kristi Golden is a communications professional with experience in media, public service and community engagement. She served as communications director for U.S. Senator Larry Pressler.

“What’s past is prologue.” That timeless phrase from Shakespeare reminds us that history doesn’t just repeat itself—it sets the stage for what comes next. In politics, as in life, the lessons we ignore are often the ones we most need to revisit.

Today, the South Dakota Republican Party finds itself at a critical juncture. We can either learn from the past and build a stronger, more unifying future, or repeat the mistakes that fracture coalitions and squander majorities.

The Republican Party rose to power by championing economic freedom, personal responsibility, and strong communities. Yet some regressive voices are now replicating the very mistakes that undo successful movements by reacting to the far left’s overreach not with steady leadership, but with reactionary politics that abandon the very foundations of our party’s past success.

Progressive identity politics pushed too far on issues such as radical gender ideology, open borders, and calls to defund the police. Many Americans were rightly outraged. But in that anger, a regressive faction within the Republican Party has broadened its backlash beyond those issues. Now, it’s not just radical policies under fire—it’s anything labeled “establishment,” including the conservative institutions and strategies that built our current majority.

This isn’t just bad politics. It’s self-sabotage.

In the rush to purge experience and elevate outrage, problem-solving is replaced with performative politics. Identity politics reemerges in a different jersey, and the party slips into a trap it once avoided.

They mistakenly believe they are emulating the leadership styles of President Donald Trump, who tapped into working-class frustration in a way only he could, using his platform to reach voters who felt ignored and disrespected. He turned that into a winning message, but his ability to do that successfully is rare.

What the regressives don’t seem to understand is that history has demonstrated movements built solely on grievance may win headlines, but they don’t govern. They burn hot and burn out.

Here in South Dakota, we’ve been successful because we’ve focused on issues that matter: strong communities, limited government, individual responsibility, and economic opportunity. But those core themes are now being drowned out by tribalism. When the state party is more focused on blacklists than ballot wins, we lose sight of who we’re supposed to be serving.

On the national level, we are seeing the fracturing of identity politics play out on the left. In New York, the election of Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has alarmed moderate Democrats. His platform, built around rent freezes, higher taxes, and pro-Palestinian rhetoric, may excite a niche base but threatens to alienate working families.

On the right, we’re seeing similar fractures emerge. In South Dakota, a fixation on purity has led to damaging infighting. Our state party has attacked a sitting Republican U.S. Senator. It has remained silent on hate speech. It has branded long-serving conservatives as RINOs. Blacklists are circulated. Loyalty tests are given more weight than legislative success. The result? Donors are backing away. Campaigns are struggling to organize. And volunteers don’t rally around circular firing squads.

This is not a strategy. We are witnessing the breakdown of a once-great party.

The road to a majority is not paved with exclusion. It requires building coalitions, not burning bridges. Ronald Reagan knew this well. His 1984 reelection was one of the most dominant in American history, not because he demanded total agreement, but because he offered a vision that brought people together. He united working-class Democrats, limited-government libertarians, and traditional conservatives around shared values and principles. Reagan once said, “The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally, not a 20 percent traitor.” That principle is in direct contrast to today’s purity politics.

We should not lose sight of the values that have made South Dakota strong. Economic freedom. Individual empowerment. Opportunity for all. That’s not how we meet the needs of South Dakotans who are worried about wages, affordable housing, property taxes, childcare, and opportunity.

Reagan believed a rising tide lifts all boats. The far left wants to decide which boats are allowed to rise. The regressive right wants to decide who’s allowed in the boat. But real conservatives lift everyone.

But we won’t win by mimicking the left’s worst instincts. We can’t afford to fall into the same echo chambers, the same lazy tribalism, the same rejection of critical thought.

Anger can spark action, but leadership turns action into lasting progress.

If Republicans want to maintain and expand our majority, we need to stop confusing outrage with strategy and start governing with vision, purpose, and principle. That’s how we win. And more importantly, that’s how we serve.

Rep. Greg Jamison hosting “Safer Sioux Falls” forum tomorrow at Pavilion

Sharing with you a note I received from State Representative Greg Jamison announcing a forum (open to the public) being held tomorrow:

I’m putting together a Safer Sioux Falls Forum on July 22nd, 10:00 am at the Pavilion in the Belbas Theater.

All local law enforcement agencies, DOC Parole Manager, UJS, Minnehaha County States Attorney, Assistant Attorney General, city council leadership and council members, mayor, police chief Minnehaha and Lincoln County sheriffs are all participating.  All Sioux Falls legislators have been invited and many are attending.

The intent of the Safer Sioux Falls forum is to address issues that have been raised about having a prison in our city.

The first question is to the mayor/police chief about what impacts they feel from having a prison here.

If potential positive outcomes/funding… can be found that we support, my hope is that we could bring them to our special session and have them considered as part of the action we take.

The 22nd was chosen because it works with the mayor/police chief and sheriff first, but also because the 22nd was set aside for our special session.

We should be done by 11:30 am.

Jamison is viewed as a potential candidate for mayor of Sioux Falls, and has been participating as part of the Prison Reset task force.

While SDGOP only raises $85 in June, SDDP raises nearly 1000 times more. $80k raised, $96k spent, $58k cash on hand.

While the SDGOP reported raising a whole $85 dollars in June (and anecdotally is said to have claimed ignorance about what they raised in June at the central committee meeting yesterday), the South Dakota Democrat Party filed a federal report showing that they raised nearly 1000 times as much.

SDDP July Monthly FEC by Pat Powers on Scribd

Democrats reported $79,326.04 raised, against $95,589.00 spent, leaving $57,914.10 cash on hand.  I would venture that this is as generated in part by their recent state dinner.

You know, I’m not sure what to say about the fundraising disparity.  Except the SDGOP should have fessed up at the Central Committee meeting, because that report didn’t appear out of thin air early this AM.