THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Trumpification of Kristi Noem

Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota, is readying for her national close-up. How else to interpret her recent controversial trip to Texas to “fix” her smile, documented in a lengthy video?

You know, the one she posted on X, Facebook and Instagram, singing the praises of Smile Texas, the cosmetic dental clinic that remedied what she said had been a problem incurred long ago in an accident while bicycling with her children. The one that chronicled her journey to, she said, “a smile that I can be proud of and confident in.”

ROKK Co-Founder and Partner Ron Bonjean spoke to The New York Times about what being in Trump’s circle has meant for Kristi Noem.