On January 12, Noem revealed that she had been denied permission to let off fireworks display at Mount Rushmore for the third consecutive year by the Biden administration.
President Joe Biden and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) have been at odds over fireworks for the past two years.The Republican party wanted to host an Independence Day show at one of the country’s most stunning monuments, but the POTUS once again refused their request.
The best way to celebrate America’s Birthday is with fireworks at Mount Rushmore.
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) January 12, 2023
Today, the Biden Administration rejected them. Again. pic.twitter.com/0J4M1xaQOy
The Superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Michelle Wheatley, wrote a letter to the state’s Department of Tourism, which The Daily Caller obtained a copy of, stating that several Native American tribes in the zone have expressed concern about the “adverse effect” the firework have on the “traditional cultural landscape” and that the display poses a threat to the landscape because it could spark a wildfire. Furthermore, holding the exhibition would interfere with regular visitation times.
Former President Donald Trump permitted South Dakota to have a fireworks display there for the first time since 2009 in 2020, his final year in office. The displays were prohibited by the administration of former President Barack Obama due to the possibility of wildfires. According to reports from ABC News, when Trump removed the ban three years into his presidency, he claimed he didn’t know why the NPS had prohibited the displays but that he could do so. At the celebration honoring Independence Day, the former president delivered a speech.
It’s unknown if Noem will do anything different this time.
