South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) and rapper Lil Nas X were entangled in a Twitter feud after the rapper released his unofficial pair of custom “Satan Shoes,” which reportedly include a drop of human blood, over the weekend.
The South Dakota governor blasted the shoes that Lil Nas X worked on with the New York streetwear company MSCHF, saying, “We are in a fight for the soul of our nation.”
“Our kids are being told that this kind of product is, not only okay, it’s ‘exclusive,’ ” she posted on Twitter. “But do you know what’s more exclusive? Their God-given eternal soul.”
“We are in a fight for the soul of our nation,” the governor continued. “We need to fight hard. And we need to fight smart. We have to win.”
The footwear in question was created based on Nike Air Max 97s, although Nike has denied involvement in the development of the shoe line.
“We do not have a relationship with Lil Nas or MSCHF,” the company said in a statement. “Nike did not design or release these shoes and we do not endorse them.”
A total of 666 of the shoes will go on sale for $1,018, a reference to the Bible’s Luke 10:18, which says, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” The shoes include a bronze pentagram, an inverted cross and a drop of human blood from one of the members of the MSCHF team, a spokesperson told CNN.
Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, retweeted Noem’s tweet saying, “Ur a whole governor and u on here tweeting about some damn shoes. do ur job!”
Noem tweeted Matthew 16:26 in response, which reads, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
Noem was not alone in her criticism of the shoes, with evangelical pastor Mark Burns calling them “evil” and “heresy” over Twitter.
Amid the controversy, Lil Nas X released a YouTube video that started with an apparent apology before shifting within six seconds to his music video “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” which features the rapper dancing on a devil character’s lap.