Tillis becomes first GOP senator to call for "incompetent" Noem to step down

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis made history by becoming the first GOP senator to publicly call for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to step down, labeling her as 'incompetent' in a significant break from party solidarity on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. this week. Following Tillis's unprecedented statement, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, another Republican senator, echoed these sentiments, creating a rare moment of bipartisan criticism directed at a fellow Republican governor. The development marks a notable fracture in Republican ranks as the party typically maintains unity in public statements regarding its members, especially governors from their own ranks. While the specific reasons for Tillis's sharp criticism were not detailed in his initial remarks, the public rebuke of Noem suggests significant concerns about her performance or actions as governor that prompted this extraordinary call for her resignation from within her own party.