From Donald Trump’s potential running mate for the next presidential election in the United States, she has become, in the space of a few minutes, a dog killer in the imagination of the American electorate. Kristi Noem, currently the Republican governor of South Dakota, saw fit to recount the death of her puppy in her memoir.
Excerpts from the latter, entitled No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward (“No Turning Back: The Truth About What’s Wrong in Politics and How We Move America Forward”), were relayed by The Guardian on April 26, a few days before their publication on May 7.
“Cricket [le nom de sa chienne] was around 14 months old,” says Kristi Noem. Her mistress, however, complained of her “aggressive behavior”, notably during a hunting trip during which the young wire-haired pointer became “crazy with excitement, chasing everyone birds at once.
The same day, Cricket attacked chickens belonging to neighbors of the governor’s family farm. Once subdued, the dog bit Kristi Noem. The last straw for the owner of the animal, who describes it as “untamable”. And the reason why she took her to a quarry to shoot her, with her gun, in front of a group of workers.
A well-ordered life
“It wasn’t pleasant, but it had to be done,” assures the governor. He continued: “Once I was done, I realized that another unpleasant job had to be done.” Indeed, on the same day, in the same place, the family goat suffered the same morbid fate. His justification? The uncastrated animal was naughty, gave off a “repugnant odor” and had developed the bad habit of chasing its children.
The 52-year-old former congresswoman describes herself, on her X account, as a “wife, mother, grandmother, farmer, rancher, small business owner.” A tidy life, all in all, except for a few details. Two assassinations on the same day, on the CV of a potential future vice-president, that’s a stain.
As soon as it was broadcast, this story sparked a wave of criticism on social networks, “especially on the left” of Kristi Noem, as noted The New York Times. Starting with the team of Democratic President Joe Biden, who rushed to publish a photo of the governor and Donald Trump on X. “Kristi Noem brags about having shot her puppy,” criticizes the team.
On the Republican and pro-Trump side too, the news has not gotten through. “You can’t shoot your dog and then become vice president,” attacks Laura Loomer, a fervent supporter of Trump, on the social network X.
A “psychopathic” governor
Talk show sets also picked up on the story, calling Krisiti Noem a “psychopath.” “If you don’t like untrainable animals that gobble up chickens, I have bad news about your party’s candidate,” quipped host Stephen Colbert, who heads the show The Late Show.
And in the population? Americans being known for their love for canines, the impact of such a story necessarily has repercussions on the image of the mother of three children. The democratic organization New River Strategies announced that it had conducted its own survey, relayed by The Guardian Sunday April 28.
So, 81% of Americans disapprove of Kristi Noem’s decision to shoot Cricket. According to Politicothe governor also fell in a ranking of potential Trump vice-presidential candidates offered by PredictIt, an online betting company.