South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem's official social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X, the site formerly known as Twitter, have been deleted without explanation. These accounts, which had amassed hundreds of thousands of followers, are no longer active as of Monday. Links to these accounts on the governor's official website now lead to inactive pages.
However, Governor Noem's official YouTube page remains active, along with her personal accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X. A new X account for the governor's office was recently created and currently has just over 300 followers, significantly fewer than her previous account's half-million followers.
A spokesperson for Governor Noem directed the media to the new X account for official updates from the governor's office but did not provide any information regarding the deletion of the old accounts. It is unclear whether the accounts were deleted by Governor Noem or her office.
Recently, Governor Noem has faced criticism for an incident from her past involving the euthanization of a puppy, which she detailed in her new book. She defended her actions, stating that the puppy had displayed aggressive behavior by biting. This revelation has sparked negative reactions towards the governor.
In addition to this controversy, Governor Noem has also come under fire within South Dakota for comments she made earlier this year regarding tribal leaders allegedly benefiting from drug cartels. As a result, several tribes have banned Governor Noem from their reservations.