Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X poses in the press room during the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on August 26, 2019.
JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images
  • Lil Nas X and GOP Gov. Kristi Noem got into a Twitter spat over the rapper's sneaker range.
  • The trainers are Satan-themed and contain a drop of human blood.
  • After Noem said the trainers show America is battling for its soul, the rapper replied "do ur job."
  • See more stories on Insider's business page.

Lil Nas X hit argued with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem after the Republican seized on his Satan-themed sneaker range to warn that America is engaged in a battle for its soul.

The rapper announced over the weekend that he is releasing the trainers in collaboration with design company MSCHF. Each of the 666 pairs on sale are said to contain a single drop of human blood.

They were released as a tie-in with the rapper's recent single "MONTERO," the video for which shows the rapper descending into hell and pole-dancing for the devil.

In a tweet Sunday, Noem wrote that the trainers were a symbol of America's spiritual ruin.

"Our kids are being told that this kind of product is, not only okay, it's 'exclusive,'" tweeted Noem.

"But do you know what's more exclusive? Their God-given eternal soul. We are in a fight for the soul of our nation. We need to fight hard. And we need to fight smart. We have to win."

Lil Nas X tweeted in response: "Ur a whole governor and u on here tweeting about some damn shoes. Do ur job!"

Noem was touted as Republican rising star and successor to Donald Trump's political legacy. She has in recent weeks been embroiled in a controversy over a potential bill which would ban transgender women competing in female sports.

Many prominent Republicans are increasingly focused on so-called "culture wars" controversies, in which they portray liberals as engaged in a plot to silence their critics, and erode morality.

A series of top conservatives argued that the decision by the estate of children's author Dr Seuss to withdraw books containing racist caricatures as a "woke" attempt to restrict freedom of expression.

Sunday's spat is not the first time Lil Nas X has drawn the ire of conservatives, with Tennessee GOP congressional candidate Robbie Starbuck last week describing the video as "evil content."

Last November the rapper hit back at a Republican congressional candidate who criticized a promotional image for his track "Holiday" depicting the rapper kissing himself.

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