'Carrying water for DeSantis': Noem spox accuses conservative National Review of being insufficiently pro-life

A spokesperson for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is pushing back with critical questions challenging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) pro-life views.

The critical remarks came when National Review reporter Nate Hochman contacted the Republican governor's spokesperson, Ian Fury.

Although Hochman wanted Fury to weigh in on the “transgender lobby” in his own state of South Dakota, he shared a critical opinion of DeSantis.

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In a report published on Thursday, January 5, Hochman wrote:

"Fury responded with a lengthy statement rejecting 'any implication that Governor Noem is overly cozy with' the major lobbying groups that helped kill a long line of anti-gender-ideology bills in the state. But in a follow-up email, he pivoted to an unprompted diatribe about the contrast between Noem’s and DeSantis’s records on the issue of abortion."

Fury offered a critical view of DeSantis' pro-life beliefs while lauding Noem's views.

“Where was Governor DeSantis? Hiding behind a 15-week ban. Does he believe that 14-week-old babies don’t have a right to live?” Fury said.

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According to Fury, the National Review is also part of the problem as he accused the news outlet of “carrying water” for DeSantis.

“He closed out the email by speculating as to whether National Review was ‘no longer pro-life . . . because that’s the message you send by carrying water for Gov. DeSantis,'” Hochman wrote.

In a thread of tweets, Hochman also recounted more details about his conversation with Fury as he tweeted, "While reporting for this piece on South Dakota, I reached out to Noem spokesperson [IanTFury] to see if her office was interested in providing a statement. He rejected 'any implication that Governor Noem is overly cozy with' the lobbying groups in question."

He continued, "But in a follow-up email, he pivoted to an unprompted diatribe about the contrast between Noem’s and DeSantis’s records on the issue of abortion — and speculating as to whether [NRO] was 'no longer pro-life...because that’s the message you send by carrying water for Gov. DeSantis.'"

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