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Kristi Noem tells NRA her 2-year-old granddaughter already has two guns
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Of all the allegations being levelled against Donald Trump, at least animal cruelty isn’t one of them.
And yet, the same can’t be said for his potential presidential running mate who has horrified the US electorate by making a brutal admission.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, already known for her bulging biceps and status as Trump’s possible VP, has now shot to notoriety for boasting that she killed her 14-month-old dog.
Noem, 52, made the confession in her upcoming memoir, ‘No Going Back’, in which she recalled taking her German wirehaired pointer to a gravel pit on her farm and shooting it dead for being “less than worthless,” The Guardianfirst reported.
And what did the dog (a female named Cricket) do to incur such wrath from the Republican mum-of-three?
She allegedly ruined a hunting trip by chasing birds and “having the time of her life,” before attacking a local family’s chickens on the way home.
“I hated that dog,” Noem acknowledged in her autobiography. “At that moment, I realized I had to put her down.”
The 52-year-old then admitted that, after killing Cricket, she took the family goat to the same gravel pit and shot it because it was “nasty and mean” and smelled “disgusting, musky, rancid.”
Noem (right) admitted that she hated the puppy, which was a German wirehaired pointer called Cricket(iStock/Getty Images)
The backlash over her cruelty, which has erupted on both sides of America’s political divide, has forced Noem to defend her actions.
In a statement posted to both Truth Social and X/Twitter on Sunday, she argued: “I can understand why some people are upset about a 20 year old story of Cricket, one of the working dogs at our ranch, in my upcoming book — No Going Back.
“The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down. Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did.”
Trying to spin the story by portraying it as just a darker – but necessary aspect of farm life – she insisted that it proved she was willing to take tough and “messy” decisions.
“Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle,” she wrote.
“Even if it’s hard and painful. I followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor.
“As I explained in the book, it wasn’t easy. But often the easy way isn’t the right way.”
Noem sporting a signature MAGA hat and embracing Trump at a rally in South Dakota(Getty Images)
However, Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Republican icon Senator John McCain, dismissed Noem's attempt at self-justification.
Responding to the statement, McCain wrote in her own tweet: "My family has a ranch outside of Sedona - no one has ever shot a dog for any reason. This is not a 'rural/ranch' thing.
She continued: "My Dad's dog Burma's ashes are on our family mantle after he died naturally.
"This story is something out of a horror movie."
‘No Going Back’ is due to be released on 7 May, with publicity for the book claiming that it is “packed with surprising stories and practical lessons.”
We just wonder whether Noem has learned any "practical lessons" from this whole saga...
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