The Drama Between Reba McEntire & Kristi Noem, Explained

Reba McEntire is a jack of all trades: she's an actress, a country music superstar, and even a restaurateur. However, one thing she's not known for is publicly getting involved in politics — and that's no accident. But it is at the center of some drama between McEntire and South Dakota governor and Trump devotee Kristi Noem.

It all started in June 2021, when Noem — who ran for (and ultimately won) re-election the following year — held a fundraising event advertising McEntire as a special guest (per Rolling Stone). Given that McEntire usually abstains from endorsing political candidates, this announcement came as a surprise — including to McEntire herself, apparently. The "Big Sky" star addressed the matter in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter. "Last night, an invitation to a political fundraiser with my name attached was sent out without my knowledge or permission. I had and have no plans to attend this event and had told the event organizers as such," McEntire wrote. "Throughout my career, I have stated that I do not get involved in politics and that remains true today."

Noem's press aide, Ian Fury, issued a response shortly after. "The Kristi for Governor campaign follows standard operating procedure when it comes to confirming and listing hosts for the Governor's events," he wrote (per KTWB). "That includes written confirmation. The procedures were followed in this instance. I'd add that the Governor is a huge fan of Reba."

While Reba McEntire isn't one to publicly endorse candidates, she does occasionally offer her thoughts on political happenings. "My job is to entertain. I'm not there to influence people one way or another how to vote," McEntire said in a 2023 interview with the Los Angeles Times. During that very same interview, however, McEntire did criticize the anti-drag laws passed in her home state of Tennessee. "I wish they would spend that much time and energy and money on feeding the homeless children in those two counties," McEntire said.

This places her in stark contrast to Kristi Noem, who — just one month after McEntire's interview — actually called on South Dakota's colleges to ban drag shows from their campuses (per NBC News). While Noem was vocal in her opposition to drag, McEntire clearly believes there are more important matters politicians should be concerning themselves with. "We've got a real problem in this country," she told the Los Angeles Times. "Let's center our attention on something that really needs attention."

Of course, Noem has had her own controversies entirely separate from anything having to do with McEntire. Shortly before the fundraiser debacle, outlets like Rolling Stone and The Nation harshly criticized the South Dakota governor for her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her 2024 book "No Going Back" also garnered infamy for a passage where Noem admits to shooting and killing her family dog for misbehaving.