"He's legitimately legit," said Republican state Rep. Greg Jamison, of Sioux Falls, one of five House majority whips, calling Rhoden "a real reflection on South Dakota and how anybody from across the country would perceive our state."

Before Noem, perhaps the two best-known political figures from South Dakota were Democrats: former U.S. Sen. George McGovern, the party's 1972 presidential nominee, and former U.S

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Trump heralded Noem for deploying her state's National Guard to the southern border. He said that she would work closely with his newly appointed "border czar" to secure the United States' southern border.