In a polite, but contentious interview Sunday with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, SD Governor Kristi Noem refused to take the bait to concede that Joe Biden was indeed the president-elect.

But kudos (not!) to Stephanopoulos for stealthily trying by asking this leading question:

"Covid is rising in your state as well. Cases are up. Hospitalizations are up. Deaths are up. Are you prepared to work with President-elect Biden to get it under control?"

Like a Judo master who knows how to take an opponent's momentum and turn it back around against them, Noem used Stephanopoulos' question to land a couple of quick blows by first schooling him on what it means to govern in a democratic republic:

"I appreciated that President Trump gave us the flexibility to do the right thing in our state ... He let me do my job."

Then by delivering a solid take down to the mat of his "president-elect" comment:

"This is all premature. This is a premature conversation because we have not finished counting votes. ... Back in 2000 Al Gore was given his day in court. We should give President Trump his day in court."

"President Trump and the 70 million Americans who voted for him should be afforded the same opportunity."