Donald Trump

The Tourism Department said Thursday that the state is enjoying a big payoff from the July 3 fireworks and presidential speech at Mount Rushmore, but the department acknowledged there was a cost to taxpayers. 

In a news release, the department estimated it will spend $1.5 million on the event by the time all of the bills are added up. That includes the fireworks display, transportation, security and other items, the department said. 

Thousands of attendees waited hours for a glimpse of President Trump and to watch the fireworks show at Mount Rushmore.  Hear what happened in this 4th of July special SDPB News Podcast. Find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify today.

America’s divisions were on display Friday night at Main Street Square in Rapid City. 

Several hundred people gathered to watch and applaud a live video of President Trump’s speech from Mount Rushmore. 

Meanwhile, protesters shouted on a street corner nearby. 

Environmental concerns kept Fourth of July fireworks away from Mount Rushmore for the past 11 years, but now they’re coming back, because a governor talked to a president. 

President Donald Trump made that clear Jan. 15 while signing a trade deal with China. A crowd of dignitaries was on hand, and Trump took time to recognize some of them. 

The United States House of Representatives has begun the historic debate over the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump.

We're joined by David Wiltse, Associate Professor of Political Science, and Lisa Hager, Assistant Professor of Political Science at South Dakota State University for perspective on the day.

They join us from the Jeanine Basinger Studio on the SDSU campus.

Almost two hours before the president's arrival, a lone protester stood on the intersection of Russell Street and West Avenue. She wore  a Nike brand tank top, and her sign echoed the recent controversial Nike ad campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick.

Ashley, who preferred not to give her last name or have her photo taken, drove from Brookings because she wanted to make her voice heard. She explained the Nike ad was an inspiration to her to speak out on the things she thinks are wrong with the country right now.

In The Moment ... August 9, 2018 Show 397 Hour 1

From polls to campaign advertising and more, Kevin Woster offers up a treasure trove of political reading on his SDPB blog "On the Other Hand."

He shares details on In The Moment with Lori Walsh.

In The Moment ... May 23, 2017 Show 099 Hour 1

Steve Bannon made a career as a voice for the anti-establishment. Now he's chief strategist for President Donald Trump. For FRONTLINE's "Bannon's War," producers drew on nearly 30 in-depth interviews with political insiders, Bannon's former associates at Breitbart, authors, and journalists. It tells the story of one man's quest to transform America. You can see it tonight on SDPB-TV at 9 central, 8 mountain. Joining us today to talk about "Bannon's War," producer Gabrielle Schonder.

In The Moment... February 16, 2017 Show 032 Hour 2

In light of recent ethics conversations in state and national government (from IM22 to challenges to the Trump administration’s handling of business conflicts of interest) we settle in for an hour-long conversation about ethics. What do we talk about when we talk about ethics? How do ethics differ from profession to profession? And how do we hold ourselves and each other accountable in an age of shifting expectations.

Our panel of guests includes:

Medicaid expansion would have extended health care coverage to South Dakotans who make too little money to afford health insurance but too much money to qualify for state programs. With President-elect Donald Trump and a GOP Congress promising to repeal or overhaul the Affordable Care Act, Governor Dennis Daugaard has declined to pursue Medicaid expansion in South Dakota. SDPB's Kealey Bultena joins Dakota Midday to discuss the issue that has become problematic for some.

South Dakotans don't have the answers to many of their health care questions. Between federal administration changes and decisions at the state level, the issue of delivering quality, cost-effective health care is bathed in uncertainty. SDPB's Kealey Bultena joins Dakota Midday host Lori Walsh to answer many of those frequently asked questions.

Will President-elect Donald Trump be able to bring Americans together? How will foreign policy change in a Trump administration?

Tim Schorn, associate professor of Political Science at the University of South Dakota, and Sara Lampert, assistant professor of History and coordinator of the women, gender and sexuality program at USD, discuss the road that brought Trump to his win over Hillary Clinton and how they expect he'll govern.

Dakota Midday welcomes Mike Thompson, associate professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Sioux Falls to discuss the implications of the presidential election on the United States Supreme Court.

Emily Wanless, assistant professor of Politics at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, joins Dakota Midday guest host Cara Hetland to talk about Donald Trump's win over Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's election. Wanless discusses voting trends and South Dakota's part in the process.

Dakota Political Junkie Denise Ross of the Black Hills Knowledge Network visits about recent financial disclosures regarding ballot measure campaign funding in the state among other issues with the election less than a week away.

Former USA Today media columnist Rem Rieder visits with Lori Walsh for the entire hour of Dakota Midday Tuesday. Rieder has been an editor at the American Journalism Review, the Washington Post and the Miami Herald. He talks about the media's role in the 2016 election, including journalistic failures, the role of comedians in political discourse, citizen journalism and more. Rieder spoke at the Sioux Falls Downtown Rotary Monday.

Two of South Dakota’s top Republican lawmakers are calling on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to drop out of the race… but technically it’s too late for that in South Dakota.

The state’s ballots have been printed and early voting already started last month.

Over the weekend Senator John Thune and Governor Dennis Daugaard called on presidential candidate Donald Trump to exit the presidential race. However both indicate they will vote for the GOP candidate over democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

In a debate this week, Republican Congresswoman Krist Noem and challenger Democrat Paula Hawks reveal they’re sticking to party lines this election. Noem says she’s voting for Donald Trump, and Hawks is casting her ballot for Hillary Clinton. SDPB's Kealey Bultena joins Dakota Midday with insight from the Noem/Hawks Rotary debate, including thoughts from US Representative Kristi Noem on why she is still casting her ballot for Republican nominee Trump and the reasons Hawks' vote goes to Clinton.

Political parties court different demographics, and one crucial group of voters includes young people. Many have the chance to vote in their first presidential election this year. College students studying media at the University of Sioux Falls are watching the presidential race, and they’re learning to balance their journalism training with their Constitutional rights. 

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are two of the most polarizing presidential candidates in modern history.

Tonight, FRONTLINE’s acclaimed election-year series, “The Choice,” returns — going behind the headlines to investigate what has shaped these two candidates, where they came from, how they lead and why they want one of the most difficult jobs imaginable. FRONTLINE airs at 8:00 p.m. Central on SDPB-TV.

USD political science professor Mike Card joins Dakota Midday to talk about the first debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Greg Lebel is the director of the Semester in Washington Politics Program at George Washington University. He's assistant professor of political management and also directs GWU's Native American Political Leadership Program. He joins Dakota Midday to discuss civility and ethics in an election year, the role of social media and cultural isolation in increased vitriol, and how listening to one another serves as the beginning for communication and compromise.

The Dakota Political Junkies are back on Dakota Midday to talk about the week in politics. Kevin Woster is with the KELO-TV Rapid City Bureau and Jon Hunter is the publisher of the Madison Daily Leader.

They discuss everything from a possible meth epidemic in South Dakota to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

Ryan Budmayr, executive director of the South Dakota Republican Party, is at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, and he joins Midday to share some insider details. He describes the event as both high-energy and genuine. He also mentions controversy over the GOP's platform, South Dakota's reaction to a Trump nomination, and memorable speakers at the convention.

Last week, presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump decidedly won in South Dakota. He has all but locked up the nomination to run for president on the G.O.P ticket.

The state Republicans will send twenty-six delegates to the party convention in Cleveland in mid-July. State G.O.P. officials call the gathering a rally for conservative ideas.

  Dakota Political Junkie Kevin Woster joins Dakota Midday to help put the state primaries into perspective. South Dakotans show up for Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders split the delegate count. We’ll talk about some hotly contested local elections and South Dakota’s role in making history on primary night.

Kevin Woster is with KELO –TV Rapid City bureau. 

The 42nd president was back on the campaign trail in South Dakota Friday – this time not for his own political race but for his wife. Former US President Bill Clinton spent time in Sioux Falls stumping for democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Pop music pumped through the speakers in Sioux Falls as people who waited in line excitedly filed into a space draped with stars and stripes, including massive flags. More than an hour and a half later, former president Bill Clinton took the stage.

The Center for Presidential Transition is designed to help candidates prepare for the transfer of leadership prior to winning the US presidential election. Director David Eagles joins Dakota Midday to talk about the vulnerability of the nation during times of presidential transition, what’s being done to encourage a smooth transition to power, and how South Dakota voters can impact the conversation late in the primary season.

Madison Daily Leader publisher Jon Hunter and Sioux Falls Argus Leader reporter/columnist Jonathan Ellis join Dakota Midday to discuss the week’s top stories in state politics.

Today we discuss the inevitability of Donald Trump’s nomination and what it means for South Dakota Republicans as they decide whether to embrace or distance themselves from the Republican candidate for president.

We’ll also talk about a federal law suit charging the state of South Dakota is over-reliant on nursing home care for the disabled and the dust-up in Hartford political leadership.