Allies of South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem were hoping that her new book, "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong With Politics and How We Move America Forward," would increase her chances of becoming presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump's running mate. But various controversies surrounding the book may have, according to reports, made Trump's campaign less likely to choose her.
First, Noem drew widespread criticism — even on the right — for an anecdote in which she describes shooting and killing a puppy in a gravel pit on a farm. Then, the Dakota Scout reported that a meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un described in the book was very much "in dispute."
When Noem made a Tuesday, May 7 appearance on Newsmax — the cable news channel that prides itself on being even to the right of Fox News and Fox Business — host Rob Finnerty described the Kim Jong-Un encounter as a flat-out falsehood.
READ MORE: 'No way': Foreign policy experts question Noem's 'dubious' account of meeting North Korean dictator
Finnerty told Noem, "If you asked me a month ago who's at the top of the list to run with Donald Trump, I would've said your name. If you asked me that same question this morning, I don't even think you're on the list…. It's because of things that came out in this book, like your claims that you met Kim Jong-Un."
Noem responded, "I've been to the DMZ."
But Finnerty quoted directly from Noem's book, saying of the alleged meeting with Jong Un, "Governor, that never happened, did it?"
Noem told Finnerty, "What I have said in the book is that when I became aware of the content, that we had it changed. And that's the way that it is. I should not have put that anecdote in the book. I am not going to talk about my meetings…. I am not going to talk about my conversations with world leaders."
READ MORE: Kristi Noem doubles down with 'legal cover' for shooting her puppy to death
Noem claimed that she has been "very forthright" about meetings she had with world leaders when she was serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. But Finnerty continued to stress that her book describes a meeting that is pure fiction.
The Newsmax host told Noem, "Governor, I'm not asking you about the details of this alleged meeting. I'm asking you if the meeting actually happened. I don't think it did. And I think if it did, you'd be able to confirm for me that yes, it did — and here's when it happened…. You're going to have to continue to answer this question."
Noem responded, "I don't think so, because the average American citizen is more worried about the border."
READ MORE: Kristi Noem's damage control response to puppy shooting story: She also killed 3 horses
Watch the full video below or at this link.
