RAPID CITY, SD — Following an amicable agreement after months of embattlement with Mayday Health, Attorney General Marty Jackley came home to the Black Hills to fundraise for his bid to represent South Dakota in Congress following Rep. Dusty Johnson’s upcoming abdication of the position.

Before the event held at the Hotel Alex Johnson however, Jackley sat down for a moment to have a brief conversation with The Post. 

Jackley during this conversation spoke with respect for former competitor for Congress Casey Crabtree, who ended his campaign recently and endorsed Jackley, leaving the Attorney General with a strong lead in polls, saying “Crabtree was very gracious. When he stepped aside and endorsed me and I feel that has made our team that much stronger as we look towards the general having a United front, I think again makes us stronger, makes our messaging that much stronger”.. In spite of this seemingly comfortable position however, Jackley says he intends to keep his campaign active. “I’m clearly still working because I want to earn this. It’s too important not to work hard at it,” said Jackley.

Addressing how he sees his potential role in congress, Jackley said that he expected to be a representative of South Dakota Politics, advocating for a strong military, a weak government, controlling tax spending, and addressing fraud and corruption. 

At this point however, Jackley spoke to some of the issues of the day, saying in no uncertain terms that he supported a forcible regime change in Iran and the destruction of their nuclear capabilities, which have been alleged by Israel. “My position is clear that I think America is much safer. Now, because of the action our military and the president took on Iran.” said Jackley, following ”I support those efforts, I think. Again, it speaks to the strength of our military, our men and women in service, especially here at Elsworth that have contributed so greatly to the success of that mission”. 

Jackley additionally said in light of polls concluding Americans nationally are wary about another “Forever War” in the Middle East, that while he doesn’t want to see “boots on the ground”, he doesn’t want to rule it out as a “last resort” option, and that he expects the operation to be quick, and increases in the price of oil to be temporary and avoid a situation similar to the Arab-Israeli war which played a major role in the 1970s Energy Crisis.

On the continuing DHS shutdown, a reaction following the murder of two Americans by ICE Agents, Jackley said “I think the American people deserve better than they’re getting from that process”. Jackley said that especially considering the war initiated by Israel and the US, “You have men and women that are working for the Department of Health or Department of Homeland Security, including TSA, that are working at the airports without a paycheck – that is bad government”.

Lastly, in contrast to lukewarm statements from Senate Majority Leader Thune in an interview several weeks ago, Jackley, who of course has a strong background in law spoke in affirmation of individuals implicated by the Epstein files, saying “As Attorney General, you look at the evidence and you, you Follow the evidence to wherever it may lead. No matter who it involves, I recognize when you start talking about the Epstein matters, some of those issues may be foreclosed by a statute of limitations – I think you just tell the American people that if that’s the case, if there are people that are implicated in the evidence takes you to those people, I think they should be accountable for whatever wrongdoing they did,” Concluding, “I think the victims deserve that”.