South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a leading contender to be Donald Trump's vice-presidential running mate, has sparked widespread outrage after revealing in her upcoming book that she killed her own dog and a goat. The book, titled 'No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward', is set to be published next month.
Noem writes that she shot her 14-month-old wirehair pointer, Cricket, after the dog ruined a pheasant hunt and attacked a local family's chickens. She describes Cricket as having an 'aggressive personality' and being 'untrainable' and 'dangerous'. After the incident, Noem led the dog to a gravel pit and shot her, stating: 'It was not a pleasant job, but it had to be done.'
The governor also recounts killing a male goat owned by her family, which she described as 'nasty and mean' and prone to chasing her children. She shot the goat in the same gravel pit, but the animal initially survived after jumping as she fired, requiring a second shot. Noem notes that a construction crew witnessed the killings, and her daughter later asked, 'Hey, where’s Cricket?'
Noem defends including the story in her book as an illustration of her willingness to do 'difficult, messy and ugly' tasks when necessary. However, the revelations have drawn sharp criticism, with former Obama adviser Tommy Vietor likening her to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. The controversy has dominated political discourse, with many questioning Noem's judgment and suitability for high office.
