bhpioneer.com · Joshua Haiar Southdakotasearchlight.com · September 9, 2026
Rhoden, Ahlers both slam Trump on beef imports but clash on other debate topics | Local News | bhpioneer.com
# Rhoden, Ahlers both slam Trump on beef imports but clash on other debate topics
- By Joshua Haiar Southdakotasearchlight.com - Sep 9, 2026 - 49 mins ago - 0
South Dakota’s candidates for governor, Democratic nominee Dan Ahlers, left, and Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden chat with attendees at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron on Saturday. Photos by Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight
HURON — Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden and Democratic challenger Dan Ahlers both criticized President Donald Trump Saturday during a debate at the South Dakota State Fair, with Rhoden saying he agrees with Trump on other issues but could not support the president’s decision to import more foreign beef.
“I thought he was wrongheaded in his logic, and the things that came out of that administration trying to defend it, I think, were weak,” Rhoden said.
kAm%CF>A 6?5@CD65 #9@56? =2DE >@?E9] #9@56? D2:5 96 A=2?D E@ AC6DD &]$] $64C6E2CJ @7 p8C:4F=EFC6 qC@@<6 #@==:?D E@ 4C62E6 2? 25G:D@CJ 4@>>:EE66 D@ %CF>A 92D 36EE6C :?7@C>2E:@? “367@C6 96 >2<6D 564:D:@?D =:<6 E92E 2?5 E96? 86ED :? 7C@?E @7 2 >:4C@A9@?6]”k^Am
kAm%CF>A 2??@F?465 =2DE >@?E9 E92E 96 H@F=5 A2FD6 E2C:77D @? :>A@CE65 3667[ H9:49 96 D2:5 H@F=5 3C:?8 AC:46D 5@H? 7@C 4@?DF>6CD 2?5 2==@H &]$] C2?496CD E@ 3F:=5 FA E96:C 96C5D 7C@> 9:DE@C:42==J =@H =6G6=D] %96 324<=2D9 7C@> &]$] 42EE=6 C2?496CD H2D DH:7E]k^Am
kAmp9=6CD D2:5 E96 2??@F?46>6?E H2D ?@E E96 7:CDE E:>6 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? DF886DE65 :>A@CE:?8 >@C6 7@C6:8? 3667[ 2?5 p9=6CD D2:5 E96 DE2E6 92D E@ 36 “2 DEC@?86C 25G@42E6 7@C @FC 72C>6CD 2?5 C2?496CD]” w6 D2:5 E92E >62?D H@C<:?8 H:E9 $@FE9 s2<@E2’D 4@?8C6DD:@?2= 56=682E:@? E@ 2AA=J >@C6 AC6DDFC6 @? %CF>A]k^Am
kAm%96 a 42?5:52E6D 5:D28C665 @? D6G6C2= @E96C :DDF6D 5FC:?8 E96 5632E6[ H9:49 H2D E96:C 7:CDE D:?46 6249 @7 E96> H@? E96:C C6DA64E:G6 A2CEJ’D ?@>:?2E:@?] %96 5632E6 H2D 9@DE65 @? E96 72:C’D uC665@> $E286 3J E96 $@FE9 s2<@E2 u2C>6CD &?:@?]k^Am
kAmp9=6CD D2:5 E96 8@G6C?@C’D 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E @77:46 92D 72G@C65 C64CF:E:?8 @FE\@7\DE2E6 4@>A2?:6D @G6C 7F?5:?8 9@>68C@H? G6?EFC6D] w6 D2:5 2 (2<@?52 96>A AC@5F46C 3F:=E 2 96>A\32D65 4@?4C6E6 A=2?E :? 2?@E96C DE2E6 27E6C 72:=:?8 E@ D64FC6 :?46?E:G6D E@ 3F:=5 :E :? $@FE9 s2<@E2]k^Am
kAm#9@56? D2:5 C@F89=J gdT @7 E96 @77:46’D 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E 5@==2CD DE2J :? $@FE9 s2<@E2] w6 D2:5 E96 56A2CE>6?E DFAA@CE65 E96 b =2C86DE 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E AC@;64ED :? DE2E6 9:DE@CJ 5FC:?8 E96 A2DE D6G6C2= J62CDi E96 $>:E97:6=5 A@C< A=2?E 36:?8 C6=@42E65 7C@> 5@H?E@H? E@ ?@CE96C? $:@FI u2==D[ ry $49H2?’D 3C62<:?8 8C@F?5 :? E92E 4:EJ @? 2 7@@5 AC@5F4E:@? A=2?E[ 2?5 2 ?6H D@J362? 4CFD9:?8 A=2?E :? |:E496==]k^Am
kAm|65:42:5 :D 2 7656C2=\DE2E6 962=E9 :?DFC2?46 AC@8C2> 7@C A6@A=6 H:E9 =@H :?4@>6D] x? a_aa[ $@FE9 s2<@E2 G@E6CD 6IA2?565 |65:42:5 6=:8:3:=:EJ 7C@> EC25:E:@?2= 4@G6C286 8C@FAD DF49 2D 49:=5C6?[ 5:D23=65 A6@A=6 2?5 E96 6=56C=J E@ 25F=ED H:E9 :?4@>6D FA E@ `bgT @7 E96 A@G6CEJ =6G6=] p3@FE b`[___ $@FE9 s2<@E2?D 2C6 6?C@==65 E9C@F89 E96 6IA2?D:@?[ @FE @7 2 E@E2= @7 23@FE `cb[___ $@FE9 s2<@E2?D 6?C@==65 :? |65:42:5[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 52E2 7C@> E96 DE2E6 s6A2CE>6?E @7 $@4:2= $6CG:46D]k^Am
kAmp9=6CD D2:5 E92E 27E6C G@E6CD 2AAC@G65 |65:42:5 6IA2?D:@?[ #6AF3=:42? =2H>2<6CD 2C6 ECJ:?8 E@ F?5@ E96 A6@A=6’D H:==] w6 H2C?65 E92E C@==:?8 324< |65:42:5 6=:8:3:=:EJ H@F=5 E9C62E6? E96 7:?2?4:2= G:23:=:EJ @7 CFC2= 9@DA:E2=D[ >2E6C?:EJ F?:ED 2?5 6>6C86?4J C@@>D] w6 ?@E65 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 |65:42:5 C64:A:6?ED 2C6 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm#9@56? D2:5 E96 32==@E >62DFC6 H@F=5 @?=J C6>@G6 E96 C6BF:C6>6?E E@ 4@?E:?F6 H:E9 6IA2?565 6=:8:3:=:EJ :7 7656C2= 7F?5:?8 5C@AD 36=@H h_T] w6 @AA@D65 6IA2?D:@?[ 96 D2:5[ @G6C 4@?46C?D 23@FE E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E @?6 52J AF==:?8 7F?5:?8]k^Am
kAmu@C>6C v@G] zC:DE: }@6> >6C865 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC6 2?5 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 t?G:C@?>6?E 2?5 }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D 3J 6I64FE:G6 @C56C[ 4C62E:?8 E96 s6A2CE>6?E @7 p8C:4F=EFC6 2?5 }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D]k^Am
kAm“}@3@5J @? E96 A=2?6E 92D 2 >@C6 G6DE65 :?E6C6DE :? AC@E64E:?8 @FC 6?G:C@?>6?E 2?5 @FC ?2EFC2= C6D@FC46D[ 2?5 E96 DFDE2:?23:=:EJ @7 @FC 28 =2?5[ E92? E96 A6@A=6 E92E 2C6 AC@5F4:?8 @? E92E 28 =2?5[” #9@56? D2:5]k^Am
kAm#9@56?[ @7 CFC2= &?:@? r6?E6C[ 92D 366? 8@G6C?@C D:?46 62C=J a_ad[ H96? 96 H2D 6=6G2E65 7C@> =:6FE6?2?E 8@G6C?@C 27E6C E96?\v@G] }@6> C6D:8?65 E@ E2<6 2 ;@3 :? E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@?] p9=6CD :D 2 3FD:?6DD>2? 2?5 7@C>6C =68:D=2E@C 7C@> s6== #2A:5D]k^Am
k5:G DEJ=6lQ42C6E\4@=@Ci R______j 4@=@Ci R______j 7@?E\72>:=Ji w6=G6E:42j 7@?E\D:K6i `aAIj 7@?E\DEJ=6i ?@C>2=j 7@?E\G2C:2?E\42ADi ?@C>2=j 7@?E\H6:89Ei c__j =6EE6C\DA24:?8i ?@C>2=j @CA92?Di 2FE@j E6IE\2=:8?i DE2CEj E6IE\:?56?Ei _AIj E6IE\EC2?D7@C>i ?@?6j H9:E6\DA246i ?@C>2=j H:5@HDi 2FE@j H@C5\DA24:?8i _AIj \H63<:E\E6IE\DEC@<6\H:5E9i _AIj E6IE\564@C2E:@?i ?@?6jQm$:?46 `gfe[ E96 q=24< w:==D !:@?66C 92D 366? 2 =@42==J @H?65 U2>Aj @A6C2E65 ?6HDA2A6C] k^5:Gm
k5:G DEJ=6lQ42C6E\4@=@Ci R______j 4@=@Ci R______j 7@?E\72>:=Ji w6=G6E:42j 7@?E\D:K6i `aAIj 7@?E\DEJ=6i ?@C>2=j 7@?E\G2C:2?E\42ADi ?@C>2=j 7@?E\H6:89Ei c__j =6EE6C\DA24:?8i ?@C>2=j @CA92?Di 2FE@j E6IE\2=:8?i DE2CEj E6IE\:?56?Ei _AIj E6IE\EC2?D7@C>i ?@?6j H9:E6\DA246i ?@C>2=j H:5@HDi 2FE@j H@C5\DA24:?8i _AIj \H63<:E\E6IE\DEC@<6\H:5E9i _AIj E6IE\564@C2E:@?i ?@?6jQm%@ C625 2== @7 @FC DE@C:6D k^5:Gm
k5:G DEJ=6lQ42C6E\4@=@Ci R______j 4@=@Ci R______j 7@?E\72>:=Ji w6=G6E:42j 7@?E\D:K6i `aAIj 7@?E\DEJ=6i ?@C>2=j 7@?E\G2C:2?E\42ADi ?@C>2=j 7@?E\H6:89Ei c__j =6EE6C\DA24:?8i ?@C>2=j @CA92?Di 2FE@j E6IE\2=:8?i DE2CEj E6IE\:?56?Ei _AIj E6IE\EC2?D7@C>i ?@?6j H9:E6\DA246i ?@C>2=j H:5@HDi 2FE@j H@C5\DA24:?8i _AIj \H63<:E\E6IE\DEC@<6\H:5E9i _AIj E6IE\564@C2E:@?i ?@?6jQmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]39A:@?66C]4@>^DF3D4C:36^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmr=:4< w6C6k^2mk^5:Gm
k5:G DEJ=6lQ42C6E\4@=@Ci R______j 4@=@Ci R______j 7@?E\72>:=Ji w6=G6E:42j 7@?E\D:K6i `aAIj 7@?E\DEJ=6i ?@C>2=j 7@?E\G2C:2?E\42ADi ?@C>2=j 7@?E\H6:89Ei c__j =6EE6C\DA24:?8i ?@C>2=j @CA92?Di 2FE@j E6IE\2=:8?i DE2CEj E6IE\:?56?Ei _AIj E6IE\EC2?D7@C>i ?@?6j H9:E6\DA246i ?@C>2=j H:5@HDi 2FE@j H@C5\DA24:?8i _AIj \H63<:E\E6IE\DEC@<6\H:5E9i _AIj E6IE\564@C2E:@?i ?@?6jQm~C 42== @FC @77:46 :? $A62C7:D9[ $s 2E We_dX eca\afe` E@ DF3D4C:36] (6 @776C 2? p==\p446DD !2DD W:?4=F5:?8 92C5 4@AJX[ @C s:8:E2= ~?=J !2DDk^5:Gm
Black Hills Pioneer 315 Seaton Circle Spearfish, SD 57783 Phone: 605-642-2761 Email: news@bhpioneer.com