torrent of criticism against Trump’s vice-presidential candidate, Kristi Noem, the elected official who killed her dog

In the United States, it is better not to kill your dog when you are a candidate for political office. Kristi Noem, tipped for the vice-presidency on the ticket with Donald Trump in the November presidential election, is assailed by criticism after admitting that she had killed her dog.

The main character of this story is called Cricket. She was a female wirehaired pointer about 14 months old who should have become a pro at pheasant hunting. Except that Cricket proved impossible to train. Difficult in character, impatient and dissipated, sometimes aggressive, she ran after anything. She had even eaten the neighbor’s chickens. Exasperated by his behavior, a few years ago, his mistress took his gun, took him to a quarry and put a bullet in his head. End of game for Cricket.

Except that his mistress is not just anyone: Kristi Noem, 52, governor of very rural South Dakota and rising star of the Republican Party. She is on the “short list” to form a ticket with Donald Trump as vice-presidential candidate.

A dog and a goat killed on the same day

Like any politician who seeks to make himself known, she wrote her memoirs: No Turning Back: The Truth About What’s Wrong in Politics and How We Move America Forward. The book only comes out in ten days, but the Guardian published the good sheets on Friday April 26. Notably this passage where Kristi Noem recounts the end of life of Cricket, a dog she said “to hate“.

And that of a goat from his ranch, a belligerent, uncastrated animal with a terrible odor who had the habit of charging at his children. The same day as Cricket, Kristi Noem also shoots him with her revolver. Two bullets this time because she missed the first. There are witnesses. “It wasn’t pleasant work, but it had to be done“.

“A serial killer with dental veneers”

But why is she saying all this? To show that she is ready for “more difficult”. That she is not afraid when it comes to doing what is good for the country. To contrast the Democratic America of the cities and the deeply Republican America of the fields. By the way, it fits the character quite well: Kristi Noem is an ultra-conservative when it comes to abortion (she actually made 2024 the year of “freedom for life”) and she refused to impose the wearing of a mask during Covid.

Except that his confidences turn into political discomfiture: the story of Cricket and the goat shocks America, where 86 million households own a pet. Dozens of elected Democrats, including governors, began posting a photo of themselves with their dog on social media. “Dogs for Biden”, now say the outgoing president’s campaign posters. Former Barack Obama advisor turned podcaster Tommy Vietor described the governor as “Jeffrey Dahmer with veneers” – in reference to a famous serial killer and a recent scandal regarding Kristi Noem’s cosmetic dental work.

Even in the Republican camp, voices are being raised to denounce the cruelty of Kristi Noem. The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump PAC founded by former members of the Republican Party, posted a video of its own, accompanied by a hashtag, #Justice4Cricket. “You can’t shoot your dog and then become vice president,” still supports Laura Loomer, far-right activist and controversial supporter of Donald Trump.

Nixon in 1952, Romney in 2012

A poll carried out by a Democratic company, New River Strategies, ensures that 81% of Americans disapprove of the actions of the governor of South Dakota. And most observers believe that his chances of winning the vice-presidential race are almost nil.

What happened to him was not a first: in 1952, then Republican vice-presidential candidate, Richard Nixon attracted criticism by admitting to having received a dog, Checkers, as a political gift. In 2012, while he was a Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney was pilloried for tying a dog, Seamus, to the roof of the family car during a cross-country trip.

The person responds by encouraging her detractors to read her book, where there is “something else“than these stories,” she said.I hope everyone who reads this book understands that I always strive to make the best decisions possible for the people around me. Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never entrusted my responsibilities to anyone else. Even if it is difficult and painful. I have obeyed the law and been a responsible parent, dog owner and neighbor“.

But, at the same time, she assumes responsibility, explaining onwas in his family for 25 years. We love animals, but tough decisions on a farm happen all the time“. Donad Trump, very busy last week with his trial linked to former porn star Stormy Daniels, has not yet reacted. Voters will decide.

The elected official herself writes in her book that she knew how to take a political risk by publicly taking responsibility for her actions: “If I were a better politician, I wouldn’t tell this story.”. That’s a bit what we say to ourselves.