Ahead of major speech, Noem blasts Biden's oil release as 'smoke show' hiding weak leadership

Days ahead of a major national security speech at the Ronald Reagan library, South Dakota GOP Gov. Kristi Noem is warning that Russia may implode toward civil war while blasting President Joe Biden for releasing oil from the country's national strategic reserves rather than solving America's root energy supply problems.

"Opening up the reserve like he did that basically is just a 'warm and fuzzy' that is a smoke show for the fact that he doesn't want to solve a real crisis," Noem told the Just the News TV show Thursday night on Real America's Voice.

Noem is seen by many Republicans as a 2024 contender and was named recently by a conservative group as America's top governor.

In a preview of her speech next week, she said Biden has pursued the antithesis of Reagan's national security policies, beginning with the bungled Afghan war withdrawal followed by the failed attempt to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"This White House does not have a peace-through-strength strategy," she said. "In fact, I'm confident that the United States can go into one conflict, regardless of where it is, and be victorious. With him (Biden) looking this week, I think China's feeling emboldened. Russia is feeling emboldened Iran, North Korea. too. And that's what concerns me.

"I think when you look specifically at Russia, I see the people of Russia even pushing back on the actions that [Russian leader Vladimir] Putin is taking. So I think he is dangerously close to having his own civil war in that country. And that we'll have to continue to watch this and monitor it."

She called on Biden to make a "complete reversal on its stance when it comes to foreign policy" and to "make sure that we're out there being strong with our enemies, defining who they are clearly and knowing that we will back up our allies every day of the week."

Noem said Biden's weakness was most magnified by his policies that abruptly ended America's energy independence achieved during the Trump presidency and left America reliant on foreign powers and the strategic petroleum reserve to ease historic high gas prices.

Biden announcement of releasing millions of barrels from U.S. crisis reserves "tells the rest of the world the United States is not ready to seriously solve the problem and look strong," she said.

"I've been to Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia. I've been to these countries in Europe, where we get a lot of our energy supply visited with them and their national leaders.

"They know that an independent America is a strong America and independent America that provides for its own energy supply is going to not be bullied by them and not strangled by them and what they provide for us," she also said.

"We're making the opposite decisions out of the White House right now. So it's going to be a challenge that we have with this president that he's not willing to really solve the problem, open up our federal lands to drilling be willing to put the Keystone Pipeline back online."

Other Republicans echoed Noem's sentiments in interviews Thursday.

"When you burn through the reserves, you don't have the reserves. So whether it's a storm or a war, and we are in a war right now, I think I think everybody realizes that," Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., told the John Solomon Reports podcast, warning the high gas price crisis will soon lead to a food price and supply crisis.

Said Texas GOP Rep. Troy Nehls: "We've seen inflation. And we've seen gas prices going up to six, seven bucks. In some states. This administration has an all out assault, they hate, they despise the oil and gas industry when we need it the most today."

Noem demurred when asked whether her visit to the Reagan library signaled 2024 ambitions, but noted she and America's 40th president shared a love for ranches, freedom and a strong America.

"We need a little Reagan hope and optimism right now with all the darkness we see happening on the world stage," she said, predicting the tome of her speech. "And I think that's the message we need to continue to carry."