Noem not in close contact with Trump at fundraiser

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A spokesman for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says the governor was not in close contact with President Donald Trump when the two were at a fundraiser in Minnesota this week. Noem spokesman Ian Fury says Noem tested negative for the virus on Tuesday night, the day before the fundraiser in the Minneapolis suburb of Shorewood. Trump tweeted early Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump had tested positive for COVID-19. Some have been critical of the Republican governor’s soft approach to the coronavirus epidemic in South Dakota where health officials reported all-time highs for the toll of COVID-19 Thursday, with 13 deaths and 747 more people who tested positive.