South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has defended her decision to kill a dog that she described as "untrainable" and "aggressive," after facing criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. In an interview with Fox News, Noem said she "put the safety of people in [her] hands above an animal that was killing livestock and attacking people."
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has defended her decision to kill a dog that she described as "untrainable" and "aggressive," after facing criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.
In an interview with Fox News, Noem said she "put the safety of people in [her] hands above an animal that was killing livestock and attacking people."
The controversy stems from an excerpt from Noem's new memoir, "No Going Back," in which she describes shooting the dog, named Cricket, after it killed several of her neighbors' chickens and nearly bit her.
Lawmakers from both parties have criticized Noem for the story, with a bipartisan group even launching the Congressional Dog Lovers Caucus just days after the excerpt was released.
But Noem has stood by her decision, saying that she "made the right call" and that she would "do it again in a heartbeat."
"I'm not surprised that those who have always attacked me are attacking me," Noem said when asked about the backlash from the story. "Republicans and Democrats who attacked me during Covid are the same ones who are attacking me now."
"But I think the average citizen, when they read that story will recognize that I put the safety of people in my hands above an animal that was killing livestock and attacking people."
Noem also recalled a phone call with former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, revealing that she felt "threatened" by the former presidential candidate.
"That’s the thing with Nikki Haley: you never know who she’s going to be tomorrow," Noem wrote. "She’s going to be whatever the polls or donors tell her to be. And that should be very scary to the American people. The people who know her the best, including some colleagues in her home state, seem to have the same concerns."
After Haley's team told Politico the story was a "twist" of the conversation, Noem told Fox News Digital that she was "not surprised" by the response.
"I think Nikki says whatever is convenient for Nikki that day," Noem told Fox. "I've watched this for years now. You never know who she's going to be tomorrow. She tends to be motivated by what works and what the polling says, and that's not the kind of politicians we need leading our country."
Reflecting on GOP losses in the 2022 midterms, Noem wrote that "the fact that our party did not achieve a majority in the US Senate was a failure by the Republican National Committee." Noem added "Donald Trump and a handful of brave folks broke politics. But what do we do now? Instead of "fixing" politics by going back to the "good old days," let’s step into the chaos and move the nation forward. Our best days truly are ahead."
Noem's book will be officially launched on Tuesday, May 7th.
"The new book is called No Going Back. And it's about what's wrong with politics and how we're going to move America forward. It talks a lot about how Donald Trump really when he entered the political stage, he broke politics," she told Fox. "And this book is the how-to guide to everyday Americans how they can be a part of moving this country forward."
