Kristi Noem could have just ended her chances at being Donald Trump’s VP. In a recently published book, the South Dakota governor admitted to shooting her young dog due to being “untrainable”. Killing pets other than putting them out of their misery is a huge red flag for many Americans.
On paper, Noem was a good choice as Trump’s VP pick. Her gender, along with experience in executive government, complemented Trump’s own base of support. Following this scandal, she might no longer be an asset but a liability. Fox News reports:
According to the report, Noem wrote that she took her 14-month-old female dog “Cricket” to a “gravel pit” near her farm and shot it dead because it was “less than worthless” and “untrainable.”
Noem explained in the book how the dog had ruined a pheasant hunt, going “out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life.”
Democrats have already pounced on this. The Biden campaign, along with other Democrat officials, have released pictures of them with dogs to showcase alleged differences. The Washington Post says:
After Noem’s excerpt went public, the Biden campaign’s rapid response team shared pictures on X of Vice President Harris holding a puppy and President Biden walking his German shepherd, Commander, at the White House (although Commander was removed from the White House last year after he bit several staffers and Secret Service officers).
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz (Minn.) shared a photo on X of him feeding his dog a treat, writing the caption, “Post a picture with your dog that doesn’t involve shooting them and throwing them in a gravel pit. I’ll start.” The post garnered responses from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) and Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) with their furry companions.
This will likely put Noem out of the campaign. Swing voters throughout the nation tend to care about personal traits like this more than partisans, who will vote for their party’s choice regardless. Who Trump will choose instead remains to be seen.
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