The Republican Party of New Mexico began the first night of its 2021 convention in Amarillo, Texas. The press was prohibited from covering the event dubbed “Operation Freedom/Positive Change for New Mexico.”
However, according to accounts from inside the event, the first night’s speaker, Republican Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, started the event with a bang.
In her speech, Noem is reported to have said, “I know your governor. I worked with her in congress. She was mouthy then too.”
She also is reported to have told the audience, “Republicans, get over yourselves. Work together and stop getting your feelings hurt.”
After her remarks, the New Mexico GOP posted on Twitter, “Thank you @KristiNoem for speaking at Operation Freedom tonight. Your words and leadership are inspiring to us, New Mexicans.”
The second day of the event on Saturday is set to have an all-star lineup of Republicans, including Texas Republican Party Chairman Lt. Col. Allen West, Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson, who represents Amarillo, New Mexico’s Second District Congresswoman Yvette Herrell, and Republican nominee for the First District in the special election state Sen. Mark Moores.
Kimberly Skaggs, the Party’s executive director and the county chair for the Doña Ana GOP told the Santa Fe New Mexican “We didn’t get to make the decision; our governor made that decision for us,” referring to mass gathering restrictions under the state’s public health order.
Ronald Solomon, a pro-Trump merchandise vendor at the event told the New Mexican, “Actually, you’ll see a big cleansing in the party of all these Republicans in name only — RINOs as we call them — coming up next fall,” He added, “If these people somehow think they’re going to survive this, they’re going to be destroyed. As a matter of fact, that’s why I made my ‘It’s RINO season’ T-shirt with President Trump in a hunting outfit with his rifle.”