Trump will never stop fighting for us: Gov. Kristi Noem at RNC

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] IF -- >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM OF SOUTH DAKOTA. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] >> GOOD EVENING. YOU ALL LOOK FANTASTIC. I LOVE THE COWBOY HATS. AND A SHOUT-OUT TO SOUTH DAKOTA. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] HI. I'M GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM FROM THE GREAT STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] LEADERSHIP HAS CONSEQUENCES. IT MATTERS WHO'S IN THE WHITE HOUSE. IF NOW, I'VE BEEN GOVERNOR UNDER BOTH PRESIDENT TRUMP AND JOE BIDEN, AND PEOPLE ASK ME IF ALL THE TIME WHAT'S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE. AND I TELL THEM THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HONORED THE CONSTITUTION. HE LET ME DO MY JOB. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] AND HE LET ME KEEP MY PEOPLE FREE IF. FREE. IF. [APPLAUSE] NOW, LEADERSHIP ON THE STATE LEVEL, IT MATTERS TOO. IT CERTAINLY MATTERED IN SOUTH DAKOTA. I AM SO PROUD TO SAY THAT SOUTH DAKOTA'S STRONG ECONOMY HAS BEEN A BEACON OF FREEDOM FOR AMERICA. MOST OF YOU, MOST OF YOU PROBABLY FIRST HEARD ABOUT ME DURING COVID, DIDN'T YOU? BECAUSE SOUTH DAKOTA WAS THE ONLY STATE IN THE COUNTRY THAT STAYED THE OPEN FOR BUSINESS. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] WE DIDN'T MANDATE ANYTHING. WE NEVER ORDERED A SINGLE BUSINESS OR CHURCH TO CLOSE. I NEVER EVEN DEFINED WHAT AN ESSENTIAL BUSINESS WAS, BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS THE AUTHORITY TO TELL YOU THAT YOUR BUSINESS ISN'T ESSENTIAL. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] WHEN OTHER STATES WERE PUSHING MANDATES AND LOCKDOWNS, INSTEAD IN SOUTH DAKOTA WE HIT THE GAS. WE EMBRACED LIBERTY. WE TOLD OUR STORY, AND WE INVITED PEOPLE TO COME AND TO ENJOY OUR BEAUTIFUL STATE. NOW FINISHING ALL OF THE THINGS THAT CONSERVATIVES HAVE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT, WE JUST DID IT, AND IT WORKED. [APPLAUSE] OUR ECONOMY TOOK OFF. AND SINCE I'VE BEEN GOVERNOR, WE BROKE THE NATIONAL RECORD FOR THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN AMERICAN HISTORY AT 1.8%. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] IN SOUTH DAKOTA EVERYBODY WORKS. WE PAID OFF STATE DEBTS AND AND BONDS. WE FIXED DAMS AND BRIDGES. WE BUILT ROADS. WE HAVE A FULLY-FUNDED PENSION PLAN AND A AAA CREDIT RATING. WE BROKE RECORDS FOR SURPLUSES, AND WE BALANCE OUR BUDGET EVERY SINGLE YEAR. [APPLAUSE] AND LAST YEAR, LAST YEAR IN SOUTH DAKOTA WE PASSED THE LARGEST TAX CUTS IN SOUTH DAKOTA HISTORY. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] UNDER MY ADMINISTRATION, INCOMES IN OUR STATE HAVE GONE UP 36%. WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES ARE THRIVING. WE ALSO HAVE THE HIGHEST BIRTHRATE IN THE NATION. PEOPLE ARE HAVING BABIES BECAUSE THEY'RE HAPPY. [APPLAUSE] AND IN SOUTH DAKOTA, WE LOVE BABIES. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] OUR MENTAL HEALTH CHANNELS HAVE GONE DOWN -- CHALLENGES. OUR SUICIDE RATES ARE DECLINING, AND WE ARE THE NUMBER ONE STATE IN THE COUNTRY FOR A DECLINE IN OVERDOSES BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE HOPE. [APPLAUSE] WE'RE GROWING SO FAST THAT WE NEEDED MORE WORKERS TO CATCH UP, SO WE LAUNCHED THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WORK FORCE RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN IN THE HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA, AND THEY HAVE COME BY THE THOUSANDS TO JOIN US AND TO LIVE WITH US. DO YOU GUYS REMEMBER THOSE ADS WHEN I WAS A REALLY LOUSY PLUMBER AND A REALLY TERRIBLE ELECTRICIAN? DO YOU REMEMBER THOSE? WELL, SINCE WE STARTED THOSE ADS WE HAVE SEEN A 78% INCREASE IN LICENSED PLUMBERS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] WE'VE SEEN A 44% INCREASE IN ELECTRICIANS IN OUR STATE. NOW, PEOPLE AREN'T MOVING TO SOUTH DAKOTA FOR OUR BEACHES OR FOR OUR BEAUTIFUL JANUARY WEATHER, THEY ARE MOVING TO OUR STATE FOR OPPORTUNITY AND FOR FREEDOM. AND ALL OF THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE OUR PEOPLE WERE BOLD. WE TOOK ACTION. AND I WAS STRONG. NOW, SOUTH DAKOTA PROVED THAT FREEDOM WILL MAKE AMERICA WEALTHY AGAIN. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] AND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP IN THE WHITE HOUSE, WITH SENATOR J.D. VANCE BY HIS SIDE, WE WILL PROVE IT ACROSS AMERICA. [APPLAUSE] IF DO -- LISTEN, TWO DAYS AGO THE WHOLE WORLD CHANGED. EVIL DISPLAYED ITSELF IN THE VERY WORST WAY THROUGH A COWARDLY ACT. AN INNOCENT AMERICAN LOST HIS LIFE, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT HIS FAMILY UP IN OUR PRAYERS EVERY SINGLE DAY. PRIOR TO THIS WEEK, WE ALREADY KNEW THAT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP WAS A FIGHTER. HE IS THE TOUGHEST MAN THAT I HAVE EVER MET. NOBODY HAS ENDURED MORE THAN WHAT HE HAS GONE THROUGH. THEY'VE ATTACKED HIS REPUTATION, THEY IMPEACHED HIM, THEY TRIED TO BANKRUPT HIM AND THEY UNJUSTLY PROSECUTED HIM. BUT EVEN IN THE PERILOUS MOMENT THIS WEEK, HIS INSTINCT WAS TO STAND AND TO FIGHT. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] >>> TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP! >> DONALD J. TRUMP IS OUR MAN IN THE ARENA. HE WILL NEVER STOP FIGHTING FOR US. HE WILL NEVER STOP, AND NOW HE IS BRINGING ALL OF US TOGETHER. NOW, I KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU ARE ANGRY, BUT NOW IS THE TIME TO UNITE. AND WE HAVE TO GET TO WORK. WE HAVE TO WIN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN. WAKE THEM UP WITH TRUTH IS WITH WISDOM. WE NEED TO LISTEN TO THEM. YOU CAN'T WIN PEOPLE OVER BY ARGUING WITH THEM. VISIT WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS, AT YOUR JOB, AT YOUR CHURCH, AT THE GAS STATION OR EVEN AT THE GROCERY STORE. LISTEN, THERE ARE MOMENTS IN OUR HISTORY OFTEN AFTER GREAT HARDSHIP AND TRAGEDY WHEN TRUE LEADERS UNITE OUR COUNTRY. AT A ONE TIME PRESIDENT LINCOLN, HE UNITED OUR COUNTRY. HE DELIVERED MY FAVORITE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS OF ALL TIME. IN FACT, IT'S THE ONLY SPEECH OR POEM OR SONG THAT I EVER MADE MY KIDS MEMORIZE WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG, WHEN THEY WERE LIT. IT WAS THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS, AND IT WAS DELIVERED DURING OUR NATION'S BLOODIEST CONFLICT. THAT SPEECH SO INSPIRED PEOPLE THAT THEY CONTINUE CONTINUE TOED THE FIGHT FOR YEARS -- CONTINUED TO THE FIGHT FOR YEARS, AND THEY LOST LOVED ONES IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THIS UNION WE CALL THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] NOW, AT THAT TIME PRESIDENT LINCOLN ENCOURAGED US THE TAKE INCREASED DEVOTION THAT THIS NATION, UNDER GOD, SHALL HAVE A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM AND THAT A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE SHALL NOT PERISH FROM THIS EARTH. [APPLAUSE] LIKE LINCOLN IN THE MIDST OF OUR PAIN AND DIVISION, DONALD TRUMP IS CALLING US TO BE TOUCHED BY THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATURE. AS PAUL WROTE IN SECOND TIMOTHY, GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT OF POWER AND OF LOVE AND A SOUND MIND. WE MUST NOT BE AFRAID. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] EVEN IN OUR DARKEST DAYS, WE HAVE NEVER ONCE GIVEN UP HOPE. SO DON'T QUIT ON AMERICA. IF WE LOSE THIS COUNTRY, WHERE ELSE WILL WE GO THAT PROVIDES MORE FREEDOM AND OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR KIDS AND OUR GRANDKIDS? AND I'VE GOT THREE GRANDKIDS, AND I'M COUNTING ON A WHOLE LOT MORE. AND, YES, DEMOCRACY CAN BE MESSY, BUT THERE IS A GREAT INVISIBLE STRENGTH TO THE PEOPLE'S UNION. WE HAVE SHOWN THE WORLD THAT WE CAN ENDURE SACRIFICE AND THAT WE CAN STILL UNITE. WE SHOULD STILL ASPIRE TO BE WORTHY OF THIS UNION, AMERICA. PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP IS THE LEADER WE NEED FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS. [APPLAUSE] SO NOW I NEED YOU TO GET TO WORK, GET OUT THERE, GO DO IT. DON'T QUIT. KEEP FIGHTING. KEEP UNITING. KEEP TALKING TO PEOPLE. WIN THE HEARTS AND MINDS, AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU. AND MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS THE GREAT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THANK