South Dakota

Republican leader’s call to civil war shows extent of South Dakota’s conspiracy infection | Opinion

Published

6 months ago

August 31, 2025

Republican leader’s call to civil war shows extent of South Dakota’s conspiracy infection | Opinion

Dana hess
| Des Moines Register

In recent years it felt like the rest of the world was going crazy. There were conspiracy theories about the weirdest things: Barack Obama’s birth certificate, the existence of a deep state that secretly controls the federal government, Donald Trump’s supposed fight against a Satanic group of child molesters.

Surely, these theories sprang from the cities where the friction of daily life in such confined quarters led people to believe the oddest things. Out here on the prairie, where there’s plenty of room to roam, we seemed immune to those ideas. We seemed safe from conspiracy theories.

Those days are over, if they ever existed.

For me, the first hint that South Dakotans could be just as addled as the rest of the nation came in 2022. In one of the first commentaries ever published by South Dakota Searchlight, the writer described how he tried and tried to get secretary of state candidate Monae Johnson to admit that she believed the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. He likened her artful dodging of his questions to trying to nail Jell-O to a tree.

As a story, an election denier running for an office that oversees elections had a certain man bites dog quality to it. As an indication of what was to come, having a Republican candidate for statewide office embrace a conspiracy theory was just the tip of the iceberg.

In 2023 the Legislature considered House Concurrent Resolution 6006 that called for the fair treatment of the Jan. 6, 2021, defendants who besieged the United States Capitol. Sponsored by Rep. Phil Jensen, a Rapid City Republican, the resolution was based on the conspiracy theory that those prisoners endured inhumane conditions; were subjected to cruel and unusual punishment; and were deprived of adequate food, medical care and access to religious services and attorneys.

Concurrent resolutions don’t have the weight of law, but are a reflection of the mood of the Legislature. The House State Affairs Committee wasn’t in the mood, defeating the resolution 12-0. That doesn’t change the fact that an elected representative sought to give a conspiracy theory legislative legitimacy. Since President Trump pardoned the insurrectionists, don’t be surprised if a new resolution comes along, asking for reparations for the Jan. 6 “patriots.”

Meanwhile, the conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was somehow stolen from President Trump caused a flurry of activity in South Dakota as “election integrity” backers made life miserable for county commissions across the state and pressured lawmakers to do more to make sure that the state’s already squeaky clean elections were beyond reproach. In effect, a conspiracy theory has led to an unneeded movement that still has momentum.

The level to which conspiracy theories have been accepted among elected leaders in this state can be found in an episode of the Ken Matthews podcast, which was called out for criticism on the South Dakota War College website. In that episode, Matthews interviewed Aberdeen Rep. Brandei Schaefbauer, a Republican majority whip in the House. In the last legislative session, Schaefbauer sponsored House Concurrent Resolution 6009, which sought to have the attorney general file a lawsuit against China to seek damages related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

China, however, isn’t the only pandemic culprit, as Schaefbauer told Matthews. Referencing the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, Schaefbauer said, “He should be on death row for killing millions and millions of people.”

She also had something to say about the way the Trump administration is handling the Jeffrey Epstein files, which have been the topic of conspiracy theories about underage girls provided to high-ranking officials. Schaefbauer said “if something doesn’t happen” to satisfy people calling for the Epstein files, “there is going to be, I believe, a revolt of the American people. Because they have, I mean, we have all been promised that something is going to happen, and we get this little, you know, give us this little nugget, and then it’s a pacifier for us. Well, no, I think the way things are going — people are so upset and they have nothing else to lose — so why not let’s just start, you know, a civil war again.”

There you have it, a call to civil war by a leader in South Dakota’s Republican Party. That almost makes Johnson’s refusal to answer questions about who won the 2020 election seem quaint and harmless.

Dana Hess spent more than 25 years in South Dakota journalism, editing newspapers in Redfield, Milbank and Pierre. He’s retired and lives in Brookings, working occasionally as a freelance writer. This column was originally published by South Dakota Searchlight.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 8, 2026

Published

3 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 8, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 8 drawing

01-31-32-45-52, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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South Dakota

Kristi Noem’s term as governor freshly roasted by former South Dakota mayor: ‘She did a Sarah Palin’

Published

15 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Kristi Noem’s term as governor freshly roasted by former South Dakota mayor: ‘She did a Sarah Palin’

Kristi Noem’s stint as governor of South Dakota has come under fresh scrutiny by a former local mayor, who said she “did a ‘Sarah Palin’ and quit,” just days after she was fired from her role as Homeland Security secretary.

Noem, who served as governor from 2019 to 2025, became the first cabinet member to be fired by Trump during his second term.

The embarrassing dismissal came amid growing scrutiny of her aggressive immigration operations across the country, DHS’s purchase of multiple luxury jets for staff, major reductions in FEMA staff, and rumors of an affair with adviser Corey Lewandowski.

Mike Levsen, the former mayor of Aberdeen in Noem’s home state of South Dakota, says her dismissal came as no surprise given her “lack of any significant accomplishment” during her time as governor of the state.

“The Noem governorship covered six years — then did a ‘Sarah Palin’ and quit,” Levsen wrote in a blog post, comparing Noem to the former Alaska Gov. who resigned midway through her first term, citing mounting legal fees being brought by various ethics investigations being brought against her. Palin was Senator John McCain’s running mate during the 2008 presidential election.

Kristi Noem’s tenure as governor has come under criticism following her firing as DHS secretary (AFP/Getty)

“Her legacy was minimal involvement with the Legislature, frequent absences, no transparency, repeated operational screwups, soaring turnover and instances of self-dealing for herself and her family,” Levsen wrote.

Levsen criticized Noem’s Covid-era ad campaign, “Freedom Works Here,” as a “Trump-based ploy that likely contributed to South Dakota’s listing high on some periodical per capita death lists.”

The campaign, which attempted to draw new residents to the state, cost $6.5 million, and South Dakota News Watch reported at the time that there were “hurdles” with the campaign.

Levsen also noted Noem’s “difficult relationship” with tribal governments, as all nine of South Dakota’s indigenous tribes voted in 2024 to ban Noem from their lands, according to CNN.

“Is there a single thing in South Dakota now better as a result of her time in office?” Levsen questioned in the post.

Noem was fired by Trump amidst mounting scrutiny over fallout in Minnesota, following DHS’s disastrous Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, which saw two U.S. citizens shot dead in confrontations with federal agents.

Noem described the two Americans, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, as domestic terrorists. She has refused to apologize for the comments.

She also drew fierce criticism with her purchase of multiple luxury jets, a $220 million ad campaign, gutting FEMA, and her rumored affair with Lewandowski.

Noem was axed by President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post Thursday (Getty)

The final nail in the coffin appears to have been Noem’s congressional testimony this past week, during which lawmakers from both sides of the aisle criticized her management and judgment.

A day after her second hearing, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Noem was out at DHS — and that he was nominating Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace her.

An administration official told NBC News that the president axed Noem due to “a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures, including the fallout in Minnesota, the ad campaign, the allegations of infidelity, the mismanagement of her staff, and her constant feuding with the heads of other agencies, including CBP and ICE.”

“Kristi’s drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration’s extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force,” the official added.

Before she was fired, Noem defended her performance during her hearings on Capitol Hill.

She also drew fire for insisting that the $220 million DHS ad campaign had been launched with the president’s approval, which Trump has denied.

Days after her humiliating firing, Trump named Noem as special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative that Trump says will focus on the Western Hemisphere.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for March 7, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 7, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 7 drawing

17-18-30-50-68, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from March 7 drawing

06-08-17-18-45, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 05

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Dakota Cash numbers from March 7 drawing

01-02-06-22-26

Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 7 drawing

10-32-45-53-54, Bonus: 02

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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