Longstanding official social media accounts belonging to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem have mysteriously vanished without any explanation. The accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter) had amassed hundreds of thousands of followers. As of Monday, links to these accounts on the governor’s official website redirected to pages indicating that the accounts were no longer active.
Interestingly, a link to Noem’s official YouTube page remained functional, as did her personal accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X. A new X account for the governor’s office was created this month, but it had only garnered just over 300 followers by Monday morning, a stark contrast to the roughly half-million followers of her previous account.
Noem’s spokesperson, Ian Fury, directed The Associated Press to the new X account for official updates from the governor’s office but declined to answer questions about the old accounts, including whether they were deleted by Noem or her office.
Governor Noem, once considered a potential vice-presidential candidate for former President Donald Trump’s 2024 ticket, has been the subject of a steady stream of hateful messages. This backlash intensified after The Guardian revealed details from her new book in April, where she recounted killing a rambunctious puppy two decades ago. Noem attempted to reframe the story as an example of her willingness to make tough decisions, explaining that the 14-month-old wirehaired pointer named Cricket had shown aggressive behavior by biting.
In addition to the puppy incident, Noem has faced criticism within South Dakota for comments she made earlier this year about tribal leaders benefiting from drug cartels. Several tribes have since banned Noem from their reservations.
The sudden disappearance of Noem’s official social media accounts has left many puzzled. Local media reports and a review of the accounts show that the deactivation occurred over the 4th of July weekend. Her former X account now states, “This account doesn’t exist,” while the Facebook account redirects users to a page reading, “This content isn’t available right now.”
A Facebook user in a private South Dakota-focused group questioned the timing of the deletion, asking, “So when did Gov Noem delete her official Governor Kristi Noem fb page???????” The outlet Sioux Falls Live reported that the two accounts were deactivated on the 4th of July. Noem’s personal X and Facebook accounts remain active.
Fox News Digital reached out to Noem’s office multiple times for an explanation but did not receive a response. The office also did not offer an explanation to Sioux Falls Live, instead pointing the outlet to the new X account called the Office of Governor Noem. “For official updates from the Governor’s Office, including press releases, follow @GovNoemOffice on X,” Noem’s spokesman Ian Fury told the outlet last week.
The new Office of Governor Noem account was created this month and has posted a handful of links to press releases from the governor’s office. The account began posting press releases on July 3.
Republican state Rep. Tony Venhuizen expressed uncertainty about why the governor pulled her two state-affiliated social media accounts. He noted that it is very common for elected officials to have multiple X and Facebook accounts to differentiate between official duties and political campaigns or other issues. “On a political or personal account, you can offer an opinion or promote campaign events, whereas on the official account, you’re going to be providing information about the action of state government, disaster response, and any other number of things,” Venhuizen told the outlet. “Generally, it’s a good idea to separate those.”
Before their deactivation, Noem had amassed more than 700,000 followers between the two accounts. Her X account gained significant popularity during the pandemic as she promoted keeping her state open during government-mandated lockdowns imposed across the country.
The South Dakota governor recently faced criticism from both conservatives and liberals on social media after an excerpt from her new memoir, “No Going Back,” detailed her killing an unruly farm dog named Cricket more than 20 years ago. In a statement posted to her personal X account in April, Noem defended her actions, explaining, “Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them.”
The sudden disappearance of Governor Noem’s official social media accounts has left many questions unanswered. As the new X account for the governor’s office slowly gains followers, the reasons behind the deactivation of the old accounts remain a mystery.
Source: The Associated Press, Fox News Digital, Sioux Falls Live
