Christian Smith
In this Sept. 7, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump appears with Governor Kristi Noem in Sioux Falls, SD. South Dakota officials said Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, that they plan to erect a budgeted security fence around the governor’s official residence to protect Noah. Noem’s office did not provide details about any threats. The South Dakota Republican has advocated a hands-off approach to managing the coronavirus crisis and has also raised her national political profile over the past year, including linking herself more closely to Trump. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
(The hill) – Former President Trump responded to backlash over South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s (R) anecdote about killing her dog several years ago, saying in a new interview that it was a “tough story” but that “ we all have bad weeks.”
“I think [Noem’s] wonderful. Some tough stories, no doubt about that,” Trump told the conservative podcast hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton in an interview that aired Tuesday. “And when it’s explained – the dog story, people hear that and people from different parts of the country probably feel a little different, but that’s a difficult story.”
“She had a bad week. We all have bad weeks,” she added.
Noem, who has been touted as a possible pick for Trump’s vice president, has been criticized after a stretch from her new memoir, “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward,” revealed how she shot “Cricket,” her family’s nearly 14-month-old hunting dog.
The governor of South Dakota said she shot the German wirehaired pointer on her property after hunting pheasants. Noem said she “hated” the dog and claimed it was responsible for attacking a neighbor’s chickens and trying to bite her.
She also wrote about shooting and killing a “nasty and mean” goat that smelled bad and liked to chase her children, right after killing the dog.
Noem was subsequently criticized by a series of Democratic governors and conservatives for killing pets. She defended her actions and said the incident and her willingness to share it were a testament to her authenticity and ability to make difficult choices.
Trump seemed to indicate that Noem was not entirely to blame for the book’s contents.
“Until this week, she was doing incredibly well. And she was hit hard, and sometimes you do books, and there’s a guy writing a book and maybe you don’t read it as closely, you know,” Trump added. “You also have ghostwriters. They help you, and in this case they didn’t help much.”
The anecdote, along with other recent controversies involving Noem, has harm your prospects as a potential Trump running mate.
“She’s DOA,” a Trump ally told The Hill. “Anytime you have to respond more than once to a story, that’s not good.”
