Questions persist about the would-be assassin who shot former President Donald Trump Saturday, the Wall Street Journal reported. The 20-year-old was somehow able to set up his rifle roughly 400 feet from where Trump was speaking and fire off several shots despite the presence of the Secret Service and police.
Officials identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, who had no prior criminal history before Saturday's assassination attempt. Crooks managed to fire off at least six rounds before being taken out by police.
The gunman wounded the former president, killed one man, and wounded two others attending a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The FBI is purportedly conducting an investigation into the incident.
Still, they have yet to explain a motive for the shooting or even how Crooks evaded law enforcement to get close enough to line up his shot before pulling the trigger. Later reports indicating that he was spotted by law enforcement several times before pulling the trigger are fueling speculation.
It Doesn’t Add Up
What’s known about Crooks simply doesn’t add up to the kind of heinous act he committed Saturday. The FBI's investigation into the background of the baby-faced killer revealed that he left few traces of any online activity.
While other people his age document their entire existence on social media, Crooks appeared to have no photographs or posts on the internet. They found some gaming accounts and one for an online coding class, but little more.
The son of licensed professional counselors, Crooks was described by former teachers as shy but not a problematic student. In May, Crooks graduated with an associate degree in engineering science from the Community College of Allegheny County.
Crooks had been employed by the Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center at the time of his death. He passed a background check and performed his job satisfactorily at the nursing home.
A neighbor who knew Crooks as a child described him as well-mannered if also "quiet, maybe a little bit different." None of this seems to explain how he would become a cold-blooded killer who would want to commit such a bold and consequential crime.
Perhaps more puzzling than the “why” of this crime is the “how” when it comes to law enforcement failures. CBS News reported that minutes before pulling the trigger, Crooks’ was spotted and photographed by one of the law enforcement snipers assigned to protect Trump.
The gunman was seen twice more, and despite communication on his whereabouts between local and federal law enforcement, Crooks managed to take his shots without being stopped. It’s unclear why snipers didn’t act faster to neutralize the threat or why the Secret Service didn't usher Trump off the stage sooner.
Even many civilians in the crowd saw Crooks and alerted police, including eyewitness Greg Smith, who told the BBC he saw the gunman "bear crawling" on the building. "The police are down there running around on the ground. We’re like, ‘Hey man, there’s a guy on the roof with a rifle,’" Smith said.
"The police were like, ‘Huh, what?’ — like they didn’t know what was going on. We’re like, ‘Right here on the roof. We can see him from right here. We can see him. He’s crawling.'" It appears law enforcement only acted after Crooks took his shots.
Nobody knows why Crooks did it or how he was allowed to scale the building, set up his rifle, and take several shots before being neutralized. What's clear is that something went seriously wrong, and Americans deserve answers.
President Joe Biden walked back previous remarks stating that he should put former President Donald Trump in the "bullseye," Breitbart reported. Biden wants to distance himself from inflammatory remarks now that there was an assassination attempt on Trump.
The assassination attempt against Trump Saturday turned the political world upside down. After years of harsh rhetoric that included strong language against Trump, Democrats attempted to back peddle, including Biden.
NBC Nightly News host Lester Holt pressed Biden Monday on his use of such strong rhetoric. Biden ultimately admitted that it "was a mistake" to use the metaphoric language and said he instead "meant focus on him, focus on what he’s doing, focus on his policies, focus on the number of lies he told in the debate."
Biden usually gets a pass from the media, but Holt was not about to let Biden off the hook as many are linking Biden's rhetoric to the shooting. "Well, let’s talk about the conversation this has started, and it’s really about language, what we say out loud, and the consequences of those," Holt began.
"You called your opponent an existential threat on a call a week ago, you said it’s time to put Trump in the bullseye. There’s some dispute about the context. But I think you appreciate –," Holt said before Biden cut him off.
"I didn’t say crosshairs. I was talking about focus on — look, the truth of the matter was, what I guess I was talking about at the time was, there was very little focus on Trump’s agenda," Biden claimed.
"Yeah, the term was bullseye," Holt shot back. Biden continued, "It was a mistake to use the word — I didn’t say crosshairs. I meant bullseye," the president said. "I meant focus on him, focus on what he’s doing, focus on his policies, focus on the number of lies he told in the debate," Biden said.
"Focus — there’s a whole range of things that— look, I’m not the guy that said I want to be a dictator on day one. I’m not the guy that refused to accept the outcome of the election," Biden claimed. "I’m not the guy who said that I wasn’t going to accept the outcome of this election automatically. You can’t only love your country when you win. And so, the focus was on what he’s saying."
As reported in Politico, Biden decried that political discourse has become "very heated" and that it's time to "cool it down" in the immediate aftermath of the attempt on Trump's life that killed a bystander and wounded two others. However, he ignored his own history of hate.
One of the most notorious came in a screed in September 2022 in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, lit up in blood red. "Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic," Biden said at the time.
"MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards — backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love. They promote authoritarian leaders, and they fan the flames of political violence that are a threat to our personal rights, to the pursuit of justice, to the rule of law, to the very soul of this country," he continued.
"They look at the mob that stormed the United States Capitol on January 6th — brutally attacking law enforcement — not as insurrectionists who placed a dagger to the throat of our democracy, but they look at them as patriots. And they see their MAGA failure to stop a peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election as preparation for the 2022 and 2024 elections," the president claimed.
The left has been making hysterical predictions about Trump's authoritarian bent since before he was elected in 2016. After years of convincing leftists that they should be afraid of him and his supporters, they now want downplay the very incendiary rhetoric that got us here.
A Quinnipiac poll showed that voters 18 to 34 were evenly split between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, a surprising result since younger voters usually support Democrats overwhelmingly.
The poll result was tied at 35 points each when all five candidates currently in the race were included. In a head-to-head matchup, Trump was ahead of Biden by one point, 48% to 47%.
The result was similar to the result of a New York Times/Siena College poll from April, which showed the candidates tied at 38% in a five-way race with voters ages 18 to 29. Biden had a two-point lead over Trump with that age group, 47% to 45%.
According to Axios, young voters haven't shown more support for a Republican candidate than a Democrat one was 1988, when George H. W. Bush was elected. The numbers were pretty close in 2000, when the next generation Bush was taking his shot.
It's a big change from 2020, when Biden won young people by 24 points, according to exit polling.
"Biden is out of step with young people on a number of key issues," Aidan Kohn-Murphy told the Washington Post. He called "the frustrations of young progressive leaders a barometer of widespread dissatisfaction among Gen Z voters."
Kohn-Murphy is the founder of Gen-Z for Change, which was previously TikTok for Biden.
Biden isn't very popular with TikTok users since he signed legislation that could see the platform banned in the United States. A fourth of influencers on the left are now posting anti-Biden videos.
Some influencers complained about Biden's tendency to invite only supporters to the White House, ignoring those who criticized him.
In contrast, Trump came out against the TikTok ban and got on TikTok for the first time last month.
Trump may be actively courting young voters with these moves.
He also said recently that he supported a ban on taxing tips, another position popular with the young who often work in positions where tipping occurs.
Trump has also made inroads with other demographic groups that don't normally vote Republican, including Blacks and Hispanics.
Biden is becoming desperately unpopular as voters begin to doubt he can handle presidential duties for another four years, and Trump is the only real alternative at this point.
The 2024 Republican National Convention is certain to be packed with intense anticipation and inspirational moments, but one speech in particular is sure to be the subject of great curiosity.
As the Daily Caller reports, former Trump administration adviser Peter Navarro is poised to address the convention after heading straight from Milwaukee from a federal prison in Florida, where he has been held for several months.
A former trade advisor to then-President Trump, Navarro is set to depart Miami for Wisconsin on Wednesday, allowing him to speak at the convention sometime before its conclusion on Thursday.
Navarro has been imprisoned as a result of his conviction for defying a subpoena from the now-defunct House Select Committee that investigated the events of Jan. 6, 2021.
Previously commenting to the Daily Caller on his conviction and subsequent incarceration, Navarro said, “Lawfare is real. Lawfare is wrong...We're not supposed to act like Communist China or a Banana Republic. But that's the growing perception of our justice system.”
“I'm in prison not for any crime but rather as a matter of honor and duty for defending the constitutional separation of powers,” he explained.
Though the Justice Department wanted Navarro to spend at least six months behind bars and pay a fine of $200,000, he was ultimately sentenced to four months and a $9,500 fine, which he still believes was inappropriate, given the circumstances of his conduct.
According to Navarro, the popular “Club Fed” characterization of prison for folks like him is an inaccurate one, and he noted the harsh conditions he experienced during his time in custody.
“It's a dangerous place health-wise. The low-protein, high-carb, no-fresh-vegetable diet exacerbates problems like diabetes, colon cancer, and heart disease,” Navarro observed.
He went on, “I'm fortunate I don't take any medicines, because prescription drugs are in short supply at the daily 'pill line,' and a lot of inmates needlessly suffer from symptoms that their prescription drugs would otherwise ameliorate.”
“I'm among about 200 inmates in close dorm quarters -- a new strain of COVID hit a few weeks ago and spread like wildfire,” Navarro continued.
Now that his term of incarceration is coming to an end, it appears that Navarro has a packed agenda ahead of him that includes a crusade he hopes will reach the U.S. Supreme Court and the launch of a new book, as the Washington Examiner reports.
Navarro is aiming to convince the Supreme Court to “formalize a decades old Justice Department policy of not compelling presidential aides to testify before Congress,” in what he calls a critical separation of powers case.
The former government official is also hoping to pursue a broader objective, stating, “I want to be crystal clear here. Neither I nor Donald Trump seek retribution against our political enemies. Yet, it is critically important that all of those who have engaged in the political persecution of Donald Trump and a large cadre of his political legal, and policy advisers be held accountable for their actions,” and this week's speech in Milwaukee may serve as his first major salvo in that battle.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries withheld his endorsement of President Joe Biden following the news conference that was supposed to restore faith in the president's reelection bid, the UK Guardian reported. This comes as fundraisers back out while demanding Biden step down.
Biden is just getting around to courting important Democratic lawmakers as his campaign slowly implodes. The president seems powerless to stop it and instead is attempting to rally lawmakers to his side.
This included a meeting with Jeffries on Thursday following his embarrassing news conference. According to CNN, Jeffries issued a letter the day after the meeting stating he "directly expressed the full breadth of insight, heartfelt perspectives and conclusions about the path forward that the Caucus has shared in our recent time together."
Noticeably absent from that statement was any mention of his endorsement of Biden. This comes as the president struggles for support among lawmakers while major donors are abandoning ship.
Democrats and their allies are struggling to remain committed to Biden after several incidents that demonstrate Biden's cognitive decline. The worst came from last month's debate, where Biden appeared tired, confused, and weak.
With less than four months to go before the November election, Biden is struggling to unite the Democratic Party behind him in the aftermath of that performance. While many are reluctant to publicly call for his ouster, there are many behind-the-scenes rumblings amid a severe lack of enthusiasm.
Even Biden's campaign communications director Michael Tyler was forced to admit Friday that there is "anxiety" among lawmakers about Biden's fitness for office. Still, the plan is for Biden to continue to try to make the case for keeping him in the running.
"Does there continue to be anxiety? Yes, we understand that, the president understands that," Tyler admitted.
"That’s why he’s gonna continue to engage with folks on the Hill. That’s why we’ve engaged with governors, mayors across the country, the vast majority of whom are firmly behind Joe Biden and understand the stakes in this election," Tyler continued.
Even if Democratic lawmakers find their way back to Biden, he must contend with a continued loss of support from those beyond the Beltway. As the New York Post reported, megadonors to the Biden-friendly Future Forward super PAC have threatened to withhold donations if the party doesn't replace Biden.
This means Democrats could lose as much as $90 million from the political action committee. The donors who have threatened to pull their money remain anonymous, but one very big name has also pulled his support.
Actor George Clooney, who previously raked in $30 million for Biden at a fundraiser, said Wednesday that Biden should step down. The 63-year-old actor warned Democrats that they "are not going to win in November with this president."
Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), who recently left the Democratic Party, thinks the weekend might yield more bad news. "I think everyone will be talking over Friday, Saturday, and, by Sunday, you should have some idea of what’s going on," Manchin said.
If Biden can't even get the top lawmakers in the Democratic Party behind him, he has no hope of winning the general election. The Democrats must replace Biden before it's too late.
Sen. John Fetterman slammed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for implying that President Joe Biden should drop out of the presidential race, The Hill reported. The Pennsylvania Democrat rushed to Biden's defense as more Democrats have abandoned the president.
There has been much in-fighting in the Democratic Party over what to do about Biden. His abysmal debate performance against former President Donald Trump last month has left many calling to replace Biden as the presidential nominee.
Pelosi was less direct than some others have been by only implying that he should reconsider his position. During an appearance on Morning Joe earlier this week, she lobbed her subtle attack.
"It’s up to the president to decide if he’s going to run. We’re all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short," the California Democrat said.
Biden already said in a letter Monday that he was unequivocally committed to staying in the race. "I want you to know that despite all the speculation in the press and elsewhere, I am firmly committed to staying in this race, to running this race to the end, and to beating Donald Trump," Biden said.
In light of that commitment, Pelosi's comments incensed Fetterman as she failed to back Biden's reelection bid. He blasted Pelosi for telling Biden to "make that decision" even after the president dug his heels in.
Why is Sen. John Fetterman sticking with Biden? “He’s the only person to ever beat Trump’s ass in an election,” he tells @ErinBurnett pic.twitter.com/iHAmqm1nc2
— Erin Burnett OutFront (@OutFrontCNN) July 11, 2024
"I would say, as far as I know, she’s never run for any office outside of the House, and she’s never run for the president, and she’s certainly never won that, as well. He has already made his decision," Fetterman said to CNN’s Erin Burnett Wednesday.
"He is staying in this race, and he’s going to take this through to the convention and to November, and I’m going to back him on that. If I have any advice for Joe Biden, stay in if that’s what you believe, and I have his back 100 percent," Fetterman added.
Even with Fetterman on his side, it seems Biden's candidacy is in a tailspin that he cannot recover from. The most recent blow to his reelection hopes came from another painful performance at a solo news conference Thursday.
Three more lawmakers added to the growing list calling on Biden to step down following the conference and his earlier missteps at the NATO summit, NBC News reported. One of those was Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) who said he was afraid Democrats could not win with Biden at the top of the ticket.
"Today, I ask President Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign. The stakes are high, and we are on a losing course," Peters said in a statement Friday.
"My conscience requires me to speak up and put loyalty to the country and to democracy ahead of my great affection for, and loyalty to, the President and those around him. We must find a candidate from our deep bench of talent who can defeat Donald Trump," Peters added.
The Democrats are in big trouble with Biden remaining in the race, and Pelosi is correct to be concerned about that. Fetterman's loyalty is admirable, but there is almost no path to victory if Biden doesn't do the right thing for his party and step aside.
Barron Trump, the youngest son of former President Donald Trump, made his first public appearance to campaign for his father at a rally on Tuesday, The Hill reported. The 18-year-old previously stayed out of the limelight.
Trump introduced his son to the crowd gathered in Doral, Florida to support the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. "Barron Trump! This is the first time he’s ever done it, Barron," Trump said of his son.
Barron didn't speak to the crowd but stood up, waved to the eager supporters, and gave two thumbs up. Trump's other sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, frequently appear with the former president.
The future of the Republican Party is Barron Trump.
Welcome to the fight.
— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) July 10, 2024
Donald Trump couldn't help but gush about his youngest child, who just graduated high school and is headed for college. "Got into every college he wanted to and he made his choice. And he’s a very good guy," Donald Trump said.
The former president celebrated what seemed to be a shift in Barron's role in the campaign. "That’s the first time he’s done it. That’s the first time, right?" Donald Trump said about Barron's willingness to be recognized at one of his father's events.
"You’re pretty popular," Donald Trump went on. "He might be more popular than Don and Eric," the former president quipped.
"We gotta talk about this. Hey Don, we gotta talk about this. So Barron, it’s good to have you," Donald Trump said before adding that Barron "had such a nice, easy life. Now, it’s a little bit changed."
This could mark a shift in Barron's public role as the young man recently reached the age of adulthood. Previously, he had declined to act as a delegate at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee that begins next week, People reported.
Many believe that former first lady Melania Trump helped shield Barron from the ugliness of politics until now. Barron was only nine years old when his father first took office after a contentious campaign that became an all-out character assault during the administration.
Melania Trump's instinct was to shield her son from the media attacks and scrutiny and with good reason. Now, one source says the 54-year-old intends to continue to protect Barron as much as she's able to given his age.
"Melania will keep her hand on Barron’s future just as much going forward as she has throughout his early and current school years. He is her world," the source said.
"She is proud of him, and she is the primary decision maker on Barron and his future." Still, the source said that Melania Trump "wants him to be happy and settled in his future endeavors" while she gives Barron room "to pursue what he wants to do."
For all of the public smears about Donald Trump that the leftists lob at him, it's clear the family is strong and supportive. It's nice to see another Trump child out in the world, and perhaps Barron will one day seek public office just like his dad.
Three Democrats uttered the previously unthinkable truth that former President Donald Trump will likely beat President Joe Biden in November, Breitbart reported. This comes as Biden's candidacy continues to crumble following his disastrous debate performance last month.
CNN news anchor Dana Bash shared the information in a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday. According to her, Democrat Sens. Michael Bennett of Colorado, Jon Tester of Montana, and Sherrod Brown of Ohio voiced their concern.
"I am told that Senators Michael Bennett, Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester told colleagues in today’s Democratic caucus lunch that they do not believe that President Biden can win the election," Bash wrote Tuesday. If this is true, it means Democrats are finally saying the quiet part out loud.
I am told that Senators Michael Bennett, Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester told colleagues in today’s Democratic caucus lunch that they do not believe that President Biden can win the election.
— Dana Bash (@DanaBashCNN) July 9, 2024
In a follow-up to Bash's assertion, Punchbowl news reporter Andrew Desiderio clarified that Tester and Bennett would neither confirm nor deny the statements but added further context through another source. "What was said in the room is a bit more nuanced, I’m told," Desiderio said in a thread on X.
"Per two sources — one in room & one familiar w/ comments — Tester and Brown expressed their view that Biden is in big trouble, while Bennet was talking in the context of the messaging war over the economy." However, a statement from Tester through his spokesperson gave a sense of the senator's doubts.
"President Biden’s bad debate performance raised serious questions about whether he’s up the job for the next four years. As I have said, he needs to prove to the American people, and me, that he can do it," the statement said.
Tester, in particular, has reason to be worried. The senator's reelection bid is in jeopardy as he is tied in the polls against his GOP opponent in a state that still continues to trend toward Trump.
The bigger picture is just as bleak for Biden following his debate performance, which revealed a muddled and tired Biden. For instance, in the battleground state of Wisconsin, a recent poll following the debate shows Trump beating the president by a whopping six percentage points.
It's difficult to imagine how Biden will pull himself out of this tailspin following the debate. However, Democrats are reluctant to pull the plug on their incumbent as they desperately try to explain why Democrats afraid of losing their reelection should stand by their man.
One of the apologists for Biden, MSNBC's Joy Reid, called out those politicians worried about Biden bringing them down. She excoriated "rich, White elected Democrats" who are calling on Biden to step down from the race, Fox News reported.
"Please, please privileged, rich, White elected Democrats, you just keep publicly defenestrating your party leader and president to feed the media thirst for 'Democrats in disarray' stories," Reid said. "I mean, you're the most important thing here, right?" she went on.
"You and your donors, of course. Not the actual voters in your party base who can't afford to see prices double on everything they buy due to Trump's China tariffs," the Reid Out host said, ignoring the fact that Biden actually oversaw record inflation while Trump did not.
Some are still trying to circle the wagons around Biden, but it's undeniable that he's got to go. Bennett, Brown, and Tester simply said what many in the Democratic Party are quietly coming to realize all on their own.
President Joe Biden's physician attempted to explain away the fact that a Parkinson's disease expert visited the White House eight times in as many months, Breitbart reported. White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor said that neurologist Dr. Kevin Cannard was not there to treat Biden.
Visitor logs showed that Cannard made eight visits to the White House between July 2023 and March 2024. When this fact came to light Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was confronted by the press about the nature of those visits.
Facing an uncharacteristically contentious press, she claimed that Biden had only been seen by a neurologist "three times" since taking office in January 2021. O'Connor issued the letter later in the day with his explanation.
New letter from Biden’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor: “Dr. Cannard was the neurological specialist that examined President Biden for each of his annual physicals. His findings have been made public each time…President Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical.” pic.twitter.com/gBoinO6HQM
— Matt Viser (@mviser) July 9, 2024
In his letter, O'Connor explained that Cannard has been with the White House for over a decade. "Dr. Cannard has been the Neurology Consultant to the White House Medical Unit since 2012," O'Connor wrote.
"He was chosen for his breadth of experience and expertise across the specialty of Neurology. Prior to his Movement Disorders fellowship at Emory University, he had practiced as a general neurologist for six years," O'Connor continued about Cannard.
"He is the longest serving Neurologist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and in the Military Healthcare System." O'Connor explained that Cannard received "numerous local and national teaching awards and is highly regarded for his clinical skills."
The White House physician said that "these qualities make him a valued and versatile consultant to assess and treat a wide variety of conditions." Except for a brief hiatus during the pandemic, Cannard "has held regular Neurology Clinics at the White House Medical Clinic in support of the thousands of active-duty members assigned in support of White House operations," the letter continued.
"Many military personnel experience neurological issues related to their service, and Dr. Cannard regularly visits the WHMU as part of this General Neurology practice," O'Connor added. O'Connor noted that Biden's annual White House physical includes Cannards as well as doctors from several specialties.
Whether Cannard was treating Biden or not, nobody's buying the lie that the president is doing well at all. After last month's abysmal performance during his debate with former President Donald Trump, many Democrats are calling for him to step down, CBS News reported.
Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett was the first to publicly say it, stating he was "hopeful that [Mr. Biden] will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw." Others have followed suit, including Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who likened the choice to step down to George Washington's decision not to run for a third term.
"I think that can be President Biden's legacy as well. He defeated Donald Trump once, and then he was willing to hand power over to a new generation of leaders," Moulton said.
"That's the kind of amazing legacy that a great president like Biden deserves," he added. Of course, George Washington wasn't 81 years old and showing signs of dementia when he magnanimously declined to hold onto power.
Whether Cannard treated Biden or not, it's clear that the president is unable to continue with his job or reelection bid because he's in terrible shape. It certainly doesn't take a doctor to see that Biden is exhibiting signs of profound cognitive decline.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) quietly deleted two state-affiliated social media accounts over the weekend without saying why she did it, according to Fox News.
Both the @govkristinoem X account and the Gov. Noem Facebook account are non-operational as of Sunday, while her personal X and Facebook accounts are still up and running, however.
The two deleted accounts had more than 700,000 followers between them.
Some officials have gotten into trouble by posting official information or campaign-related info on their personal social media accounts, so it's not a wise move to do so.
Noem did create a new account on X for official posts, according to a spokesperson.
"For official updates from the Governor’s Office, including press releases, follow @GovNoemOffice on X," Ian Fury told the outlet last week.
The account, created in early July, began posting press releases on July 3.
The changeover could be an attempt to get rid of social media statements surrounding Noem's account in a memoir that she killed one of her hunting dogs when it showed aggression toward people.
Some were outraged by her account of shooting the dog when it was 14 months old. She seemed to include the story as a way of showing she can do what needs to be done, even when it's hard.
By clearing out the old stories, she not only gets to move away from the unpopular narrative, but she avoids many of them coming back to be quoted again and again as time goes on.
Noem was considered to be a top contender for the Republican VP position before her memoir made the news, but she faded from the spotlight somewhat because of the controversy.
Another plausible reason for deleting the old accounts would be in preparation to become a vice-presidential candidate, but that seems unlikely now.
Noem has been a popular governor and was easily re-elected in 2024. She would not be eligible to run for governor again because of term limits in South Dakota.
The people of South Dakota liked her stance on COVID-19 shutdowns and vaccinations--she was against them both and kept South Dakota largely open during the pandemic after the initial shutdown period.