Both Democrats and Republicans are piling in after South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem revealed in her upcoming memoir that she shot and killed her 14-month-old puppy named Cricket because of the dog’s alleged misbehavior.
The mother of three and former member of Congress has seen her political cache soar in recent years and would have been a leading candidate to become Donald Trump’s running mate in 2024. But like the horrific story, first reported by Martin Pengelly of The Guardiangained traction on Friday, as did questions about Noem’s vice presidential chances.
In her new memoir, Noem writes that she tried unsuccessfully to channel Cricket’s cub energy into hunting pheasants. Instead, Cricket “went crazy with excitement, chasing all those birds and having so much fun.” On the way home from hunting, Noem writes, the dog escaped from her truck and attacked a local family’s chickens, behaving “like an untrainable killer.”
Noem says she drove the metal wire pointer into a gravel pit and ended her life.
“We love animals, but difficult decisions like this happen all the time on a farm,” Noem tweeted after the story had already gone viral.
According to The Guardian, Noem told the terrifying story to illustrate her willingness to do “difficult, messy and ugly” things when necessary. Instead, the story provoked resistance from both Republicans and Democrats.
“Post a photo with your dog that doesn’t involve shooting him and throwing him in a gravel pit,” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Next to it was a photo of Walz feeding his dog a treat.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also responded with photos of their beloved pets.
“Ready for the weekend”, joked the Biden-Harris campaign accountalongside photos of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris happily playing with their dogs.
“ACT NOW!” Representative. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fl.) wrote on X alongside an in memoriam infomercial-style video for Cricket. “For just $0.10 a day you can help us save Kristi Noem’s puppy.”
MAGA media personality and Trump ally Laura Loomer offered even harsher criticism, saying the ugly chapter disqualified Noem’s vice presidential chances.
“She can’t be vice president now,” Loomer tweeted. “You can’t shoot your dog and then be vice president.”
Meanwhile, the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump PAC founded by former members of the Republican Party, posted a video of his owncomplete with a hashtag, #Justice4Cricket.
“Dog owners know that our furry friends can be very difficult to keep up with. But when those difficult times come, you have options,” the video said. “Shooting your dog in the face shouldn’t be one of them. And if you happen to shoot your dog in the face, please don’t write about it in your autobiography.”
Florida governor and Trump’s former rival for the Republican presidential nomination, Ron DeSantis, issued a call to action – and a critique of the southern border crisis.
“Essentia is a lab and shepherd mix who was rescued from the southern border, where the border crisis affects everyone – even our canine friends,” DeSantis tweeted. “Please consider giving Essentia a great home by adopting her from Big Dog Ranch Rescue.”
This story originally appeared on Politico.com read the full story
