Donald Trump didn’t leave his attempts at ousting John Thune at just one social media post. Around two weeks after that first rant, he even identified an alternative for those considering voting for someone new. In an X post dated January 1, 2021, Trump shared that he’d be all for South Dakota governor Kristi Noem nabbing the spot. “I hope to see the great Governor of South Dakota @KristiNoem, run against RINO @SenJohnThune, in the upcoming 2022 Primary. She would do a fantastic job in the U.S. Senate,” he wrote.
Unfortunately for Trump, his relationship with Noem wasn’t enough to convince her to run against Thune. In an X post of her own, she shut the suggestion down fast, explaining, “@Johnthune is a friend of mine, and I will not be challenging him.” Oop.
Luckily, Trump had made provision in his post for the possibility that Thune might not want to run. In fact, he’d made it abundantly clear that he’d be happy to see literally anyone else challenge his foe. “If not Kristi, others are already lining up. South Dakota wants strong leadership, NOW!” he wrote. Thune was re-elected in 2022. In doing so, he became the second South Dakota senator in history to secure a fourth term.
