South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's boast about shooting a 14-month-old dog that she "hated" has apparently not helped her prospects to be selected as former President Donald Trump's 2024 running mate.
Semafor reports that Trump insiders were shocked that Noem wrote about shooting her dog in her new book, and one source said that it's only added to the perception in the campaign that she isn't up for the job.
“Governor Noem just keeps proving over and over that she’s a lightweight,” one Trump insider told the publication. “We can’t afford a Kamala problem.”
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Semafor also summed up the Trump campaign's reaction to the Noem story as a collective sense of "WTF?"
Ever since leaked excerpts of the book revealed the dog-killing story, the South Dakota governor has been on the defensive, and she took to Twitter on Sunday to try to justify her actions.
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"The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down," claimed Noem. "Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did. Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle. 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."
Of course, Noem didn't portray her decision to kill Cricket as a tough one in her book, as she said she "hated that dog" and called it "less than worthless" as a hunting animal.
While Trump insiders may be wary of Noem's baggage, they don't seem as concerned about the former president's own liabilities, which include a record two impeachments during his lone term in office, 91 felony indictments, and a jury verdict finding him liable for sexually abusing author E. Jean Carroll.
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