'I hated that dog': Kristi Noem recalls taking family pup to gravel pit and killing it

26 April 2024

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is reportedly on presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump's short list for a possible running mate — a list that also includes, among others, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York) and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).

The Republican governor, an aggressive supporter of Trump's MAGA agenda, is promoting herself with a new book, "No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong With Politics and How We Move America Forward" (which has a May 7 release date on Amazon). The Guardian has obtained a copy and reports that it includes an anecdote in which Noem describes shooting and killing a dog she once owned.

In the book, Noem — according to The Guardian and the Daily Beast — describes the dog, named Cricket, as having an "aggressive personality" and being difficult to control. Noem hoped that taking Cricket on pheasant hunts would calm the dog down, but it didn't.

In one incident, the dog escaped Noem's truck, attacked a family's chickens, and started killing them one at a time. And the dog tried to bite Noem, she says in her book.

Describing the dog as "dangerous to anyone she came in contact with," Noem writes, "I hated that dog… I had to put her down."

Noem describes taking Cricket to a gravel pit before shooting the dog and writes, "It was not a pleasant job, but it had to be done."

The South Dakota governor uses the anecdote to promote the claim that she isn't a slick politician.

Noem writes, "I guess if I were a better politician, I wouldn't tell the story here."

Read the Guardian's full report at this link and The Daily Beast's reporting here (subscription required).

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