Former President Donald Trump reportedly reacted negatively to a story told by South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, in which she admitted to shooting her 14-month-old dog after it repeatedly misbehaved.
Governor Noem has been rumored as a potential running mate for Trump’s 2024 campaign, but her recent book, detailing her actions towards a problematic pet, has caused considerable controversy. In her book, she described a dog named Cricket, whom she “hated” due to its persistent misbehavior, culminating in its escape and subsequent killing of some chickens. Noem stated that this incident prompted her to shoot the dog. She described taking Cricket to a gravel pit and shooting it, adding that she also killed a goat there, though it took her two shots to do so.
According to Rolling Stone, which cited four sources with knowledge of the matter and two others briefed on it, Trump’s reaction to Noem’s story has been one of disgust. The former president has reportedly discussed the incident during private meetings and phone calls, questioning why Noem would shoot the dog and wondering, “What is wrong with her?” Trump has expressed surprise that Noem would openly share such a story, questioning her judgment regarding public relations. According to sources, Trump has remarked that voters generally do not favor politicians who are known to have killed a dog.
Some sources suggested that these revelations were shared with Rolling Stone to ensure that Noem is removed from Trump’s list of potential running mates, while others indicated they were motivated by personal animosity towards Corey Lewandowski, a political strategist closely associated with Noem.
