Kristi Noem says her 'heart goes out' to rape and incest victims but defended South Dakota's near-total abortion ban after Roe fell

• South Dakota enacted a trigger ban on abortions after last week's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
• Gov. Kristi Noem on Sunday expressed sympathy with rape and incest victims but defended the ban.

South Dakota Republican governor, Kristi Noem, expressed sympathy to victims of rape and incest but stood by her state's near-total ban on abortion.

In a Sunday appearance on CBS' "State of the Nation," Noem, a Republican, was questioned by host Margaret Brennan about the state's trigger ban, a law which automatically came into effect after the Supreme Court ruling last week overturning Roe v. Wade.

Brennan asked if Noem would support exceptions to the law in cases where a pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.

Noem responded: "My heart goes out to every single woman who's had to go through that situation," adding that that she doesn't "know what that is like."

However, she added: "What I would say is that I believe that every life is precious."

She went on to confirm that there will be no exceptions to the ban even when a mother's life is at risk.

"I prefer that we continue to make sure to go forward and that we're putting resources in front of these women and walking alongside them," said Noem. "Getting them the healthcare ... that they should need to make sure that we can continue to support them and build stronger families far into the future as well."

She did not detail what extra healthcare support would be provided to rape and incest victims who would be compelled to carry a pregnancy to term.

South Dakota is one of nine Republican-leaning states whose ban was triggered immediately by the Supreme Court decision, with bans in other states expected to come into effect later.

South Dakota's ban is also one of the country's most stringent.