Noem will be rewarded for her optimism Wednesday with a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention. Noem supported the event as health experts warned it could become a super-spreader event. They like that.Noem, 48, has angled for increased attention from Trump since shortly after taking office as South Dakota's first female governor in 2019. Early on in the pandemic, Noem discouraged large gatherings, closed schools and issued an order in April directing vulnerable people in two hard-hit counties to stay home. She has yet to appear at a news conference with a mask to the exasperation of health experts and moderate Republicans in her state.

HOUSTON – President Donald Trump says he never suggested that his face grace Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, but now that it’s been mentioned, he thinks it’s a “great idea,” according to a recent tweet. Never suggested it although, based on all of the many things accomplished during the first 3 1/2 years, perhaps more than any other Presidency, sounds like a good idea to me! https://t.co/EHrA9yUsAw — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2020On a recent visit to Mount Rushmore, the president posed with his face positioned beside the other presidents -- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln -- envisioned on the mountainside. President Donald Trump smiles at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Friday, July 3, 2020, near Keystone, S.D. What do you think about the idea of President Trump’s face on Mount Rushmore?

Shortly after fireworks above Mount Rushmore disappeared into the night sky on Friday, South Dakota Gov. Noem had tested negative for COVID-19 shortly before welcoming Trump to South Dakota on Friday. But that runs counter to guidance from public health experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that advises people to wear masks when interacting with people outside their household. As the number of people hospitalized from COVID-19 in South Dakota has decreased in recent weeks to just 59 people statewide, Noem has doubled down on her relaxed approach to the pandemic. Seidel said the governor worries about other effects of the virus, such as unemployment and domestic violence.

__9:15 p.m.Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of President Donald Trump’s oldest son, has contracted the coronavirus. Gor says Donald Trump Jr. tested negative but is self-isolating as a precaution. Trump is giving a pre-Fourth of July speech at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. __6:45 p.m.President Donald Trump has arrived in South Dakota to get a head start on Independence Day weekend with a fireworks show at Mount Rushmore. It was updated on July 6, 2019, to clarify that President Donald Trump did not explicitly mention monuments to Confederate generals in his speech at Mount Rushmore.

But concern about coronavirus risk and wildfire danger from the fireworks, along with protests from Native American groups, will also greet the president. Kristi Noem, a Trump ally, has said social distancing won't be required during the event and masks will be optional. Some Native American groups are using Trump's visit to protest the Mount Rushmore memorial itself, pointing out that the Black Hills were taken from the Lakota people against treaty agreements. Security is expected to be tight, with the road leading up to Mount Rushmore shut down. Noem pushed to get the fireworks resumed soon after she was elected, and enlisted Trump's help.