Governor Armstrong pushes back against “liberal ideology” and threatens to sue Minnesota at UND event

Image courtesy of Michael Achterling, North Dakota Monitor

 At a UND event on April 17th, Governor Kelly Armstrong claimed North Dakota’s energy reserves give it power to push back against “liberal ideology” in tech companies establishing data centers in the state. “When they need you to make their next billion dollars in profits, their ideology will change real quick,” Armstrong told the Grand Forks Herald. Speaking at the invitation of Turning Point USA, Armstrong praised the state’s oil and gas industry for saving “dying” western North Dakota and called lignite coal “cheap” and “reliable.” He suggested North Dakota might sue Minnesota over its carbon-free energy requirements, though his spokesperson later clarified no lawsuit has been filed. Armstrong, whose income reportedly comes almost entirely from oil and gas, addressed federal issues including immigration, saying North Dakota would “help in any capacity” with deportations while supporting Ukrainian parolees. He expressed support for dismantling the U.S. Education Department and favored school choice while describing himself as a “free speech absolutist.”