And I followed it as governor, I believe that the best way to fight a danger in our country was through an informed and free American people who made decisions for themselves. I refused to use unconstitutional powers. We never issued mask mandates. We didn't mandate vaccines. We never kept anybody from going to church and we kept kids in the classroom. I didn't arrest or ticket or fine a single individual for exercising their basic rights. South Dakota was the only state that didn't even define what an essential business was. (08:43–08:54)
CLAIM
Asserts that South Dakota did not issue mask or vaccine mandates, restrict church attendance, or close schools.
This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.
