Noem delivering series of high-profile speeches in nation's capital, generates more 2024 buzz

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is planning on delivering three policy speeches in Washington, D.C., next week, generating more speculation that she may enter the 2024 presidential race.

Noem's first stop of the tour will be Feb. 15 at the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, where she will speak about her state's response to the Chinese Communist Party, Fox News reported Wednesday.

In December, Noem asked Congress to pass a law requiring the government to divest from China, which she is pushing for in South Dakota. She was the first governor to ban the Chinese-owned app TikTok from state devices and last month, she banned telecommunications contracts with six countries, including China.

Noem's next event, "Government and Health Care — A Dangerous Policy Cocktail" at the Cato Institute, a Libertarian-leaning think tank, is scheduled for Feb. 16. She is expected to discuss her state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how she kept businesses open. 

The following day, Noem will talk about the American work ethic at the Coolidge Foundation’s "Coolidge and the American Project."

When asked in 2021 whether she plans on running for the White House in the next presidential election, Noem said that she was focused on her work in South Dakota and would support former President Trump.

However, last month, Noem was asked whether she was not ruling out a potential 2024 run. She told Fox: "That’s fair to say. But there are a lot of people out there talking about running for president. I also know that politics changes quickly and things change on a dime on who’s going to run and who’s not going to run. I want the best person."