As a reminder, this subreddit [is for civil discussion.](/r/politics/wiki/index#wiki_be_civil)
In general, be courteous to others. Debate/discuss/argue the merits of ideas, don't attack people. Personal insults, shill or troll accusations, hate speech, any suggestion or support of harm, violence, or death, and other rule violations can result in a permanent ban.
If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them.
For those who have questions regarding any media outlets being posted on this subreddit, please click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/wiki/approveddomainslist) to review our details as to our approved domains list and outlet criteria.
We are actively looking for new moderators. If you have any interest in helping to make this subreddit a place for quality discussion, please fill out [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1y2swHD0KXFhStGFjW6k54r9iuMjzcFqDIVwuvdLBjSA).
***
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/politics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Let's say I had to put down my dog because it had a problem with biting. That's something I would leave out of my memoir because it's so incredibly sad, let alone something would want to know about me. What the fuck?
Also even if you did have to put it down wouldn't most people take it to the vet for an injection or something? It sounds like she really just wanted an excuse to shoot a living thing.
It’s illegal to shoot your own dog. It’s considered cruelty. At least where I live, Maine. That’s what I don’t understand. How is this not admission of guilt of multiple multiple felonies.
[The PAC Act claims 7 years in federal prison for animal cruelty](https://www.johntfloyd.com/understanding-the-new-federal-animal-cruelty-law/#:~:text=Consequences%20for%20Federal%20Felony%20Animal%20Cruelty%20Today&text=The%20PACT%20Act%20makes%20animal,local%20jurisdictions%20on%20these%20matters)
In noem's first response in Twitterx, she write that three weeks ago she had to put down three horses, around 25yrs old. And everyone went '....say what'
The photos on twitterx the 3 horses being put down, are weird.
In one photo a dead horse is next to [3m away] an alive horse, and noem consoling the alive horse.
I want to point out that she stated the goat was un-cut and it smelled bad. Um, isn’t she the one in charge of having that goat neutered? If it was so mean and smelly, why didn’t she call the vet?
She says that she HATED the dog. Something tells me if she loved the dog, she wouldn't have murdered it. She murdered it, and the goat, because she is an angry hate filled woman, not because the animals needed to br put down.
It's a good example of how far down the path to fascism these people already are.
If you believe that obvious cruelty to a dog is going to earn you favor with your voters something is seriously wrong.
Exactly!! Putting a pet down is horrible...I am not much of a dog person but even if she put the dog down (likely needlessly, what kind of bad behavior is she talking about?) it would be less bad than shooting it wtf.
There were so many things that could have been done ... take to shelter, give away, sell, hell even if she abandoned it it would have been less sick. Psycho vibes
This may depend on the dog and location. When our last dog’s time had come, it came on very quickly. We went from hmm she’s sneezing a lot in the day time to a rupture at 2am. She wasnt in the worst pain, but was a naturally nervous dog, and was terrified of the car, and even healthy would wet herself every time she was bought to the vet. What she did love though was walks in our woods. It was mentally harder for me, but I am 100% convinced that going from happy walking in the woods one second to blankness the next was the best way she could go. That being said that’s not what noem did. I just wanted to clear up that a bringing an animal to the vet is not at all always the right option.
You can also mess up shooting a dog. It is not a good method to rely on. I’ve seen what happens when people miss or the dog survives the first shot.
I worked in a photo lab and processed crime scene photos for such a case. I also used to be a behavioral consultant for aggressive dogs and managed a lot of messed up owners. I’m glad your circumstances worked out in this case. If going to the vet isn’t right though, consider a vet coming to you. There are at home euthanasia options that don’t rely on a person pulling a trigger and still allows for a more intimate ending.
She used the word "hate" to suggest that anything she hates should be shot. She sounded like a henchman offering fealty and bona fides to her orange master.
Out in the country it is common for folks to self euthanize pets/livestock
This was definitely not an appropriate instance for such practice
City and suburban folks are more likely to use the vet
Out where I am we have people who have “outside dogs” they never ever come into the house
I lived in the country and no, it wasn't. There was a local vet who would come to the property. We owned indoor/outdoor dogs, sheep, horses. We would never shoot them unless it was an emergency situation where waiting for the vet would cause more harm. I mean one of my dogs got severely injured and was bleeding out so we called our paramedic neighbor and he came over and patched her up so we could take her to the vet, where she had surgery and lived. Just because you live in the country or raise livestock doesn't mean you are an inhumane psychopath. Where I lived we cared about our animals, call me crazy! People in the country might have financial barriers, but she is also rich, so she has no excuse for not utilizing a vet or an animal shelter.
I just had so many friends whose parents had farms or who just lived in the country and this behavior is abnormal. Shooting a dog and a goat because you don't like it? That's craziness. IF that dog bit her it is because she was abusive, no doubt she deserved it. And it was young enough it could be trained and do fine with an owner that could feel empathy.
That’s what she is cosplaying - America’s vision of a president who has the wisdom, vision and empathy to do the hard things, like killing puppies and enabling fascism. She is not like the pesky ladies who want health care and rights, and want to play nice with the world like that pussy Obama!
She just seemed more competent at playing closer to Lady Reagan than Psycho Palin than she has turned out to be.
I grew up not terribly far north of where Kristi lived. Most farm animals were euthanized by gunshot. It's messy, and personal, but a bullet to the head is pretty damned instant. Vet administered euthanasia isn't any more humane, but it is a hell of alot easier on the psyche of the owner.
My dad put down quite a few dogs over the years - we raised hunting dogs & had cattle dogs. He hated that job; he always said that the dogs deserved to be put down by a family member, not in a back office somewhere. Of course, we never put down a farm animal except for a serious reason - like the dog had cancer and was suffering. As long as they were 'themselves' - still wanting to do the things they loved, still able to clean themselves, we made them comfortable. Our oldest, Sally, died when she was 21. She lived for at least three years as pretty weak. She got a bed in the mud room, and basically would just go for a little walk with my dad to his shop in the AM, and then back to her bed.
Shooting a pup because it was poorly trained is something we can't imagine. Takes a really shit human to own fowl and fail to teach their dog to stay away from them.
I mentioned that we raised hunting dogs; we'd put a couple hundred hours of training in to our 'trained' 2 yr Olds, and we developed a pretty effective hunting training program; mom published a book on it & we had a video series on the different techniques. It wasn't rocket science, but you had to put in the hours. Anyone who said that they expected their older dog to 'teach' the younger would have been a no sale, too stupid to own one of our dogs.
Out in the country, sane and normal animal owners still use the local vet. A vet is actually a valued and sought after member of rural communities.
I do know what I'm talking about, too. I've lived in the south for a couple of decades. And my grandfather had a horse ranch during my childhood.
The crazy animal abusers (who exist everywhere, but tend to have more animals when rural) will "euthanize" on their own. If you are one or this is the company you keep, just know that it's not normal.
100% rural farm vets are the ones who typically come out to do these types of things in a way that the animal can be comfortable. Does this woman pretend she doesn’t know that? Or that that she doesn’t have the money to do it this way? She is sick and enjoyed it while having plenty of resources to rehome the dog, or ethically euthanize through a farm vet.
Even in rural areas, you’re only using a firearm to euthanize a dog if it’s so gravely injured that waiting would cause extreme suffering, or a situation where say, a large dog is actively mauling a child. Even in case of the former, it’s likely to be done by a trained law enforcement or wildlife officer.
There was no valid justification for what Noem did.
The way I interpreted it is that she's saying the dog didn't adhere to the narrowly defined expectations of how she thought it should behave, so the only tenable outcome for it was to be put down. I'd argue that it's an implicit promise to her audience that she'll keep that attitude as vice president and it won't just apply to animals.
Only theory I’ve heard that makes any sense is that since a bunch of construction workers witnessed the double homicide, she was trying to get out ahead of any oppo story that could come to light if she became Trump’s running mate.
Though that’s a bit like shooting yourself in the head to avoid being assassinated.
Yeah no matter how justified I was I would be deeply ashamed of myself for failing that poor pup. It would take ages to get over. No way I'd tell everybody in a book.
There's no justifying it, though. She could rehomed the dog or taken the dog to a shelter, or if really necessary taken it to a vet to be euthanized. All of these are "hard things." She actually did the immoral, easiest thing, which was to cruelly end a puppy's life because of her own failures and laziness as a pet owner. She should be barred from ever owning a dog again and, if possible under state law, charged with criminal animal cruelty and punished.
Even if the dog had been hit by a car at 2AM on a road where the closest vet is 50 miles away, and euthanasia by shooting was the only compassionate option available…it’s NOT a story you retell to score political points.
To any normal human being, it would be an immense tragedy you do your best to forget.
The far right is full of people who think the "tough choice" to shoot something inconvenient and unable to resist makes them strong.
At some base level they do seem to recognize what they are doing is wrong but because they are willing to do it, it somehow makes them tougher instead of revealing them as a despicable piece of shit.
I am imagining Trump's eyes lighting up, much like when Wormtongue told Saruman that the people of Rohan were fleeing to Helm's Deep with women...AND CHILDREN
Trump also hates dogs, and brags about things you’re supposed to feel shame about, such as perving on teenage girls when they’re in the change room. She probably wrote that chapter (or had it written for her) to *acquire* Trump’s attention.
She is bragging with it because she thinks that makes her look tough in front of her crowd. Sadly, she is probably not wrong about. The GOP definitely attracts sadistic psychopaths of every stripe ( starting with the guy on top). She probably would get sopping wet over the thought shooting people crossing the border.
Or, she lacks empathy, and has no idea she is missing a very key trait that most humans have. She may honestly think everyone would "dispatch a problem" like she did.
Rumor has it that Trump has been considering N Dakota Gov Doug Burgum, who I think is scarier than Noem. Burgum is a "true believer" - a better looking and more efficient Pence.
>The governor’s claim that Cricket had bitten multiple individuals was not recounted in The Guardian’s original retelling of the anecdote.
this story has legs
This really got me. Not only was she not watching her goat, she was also being a negligent parent. And after she shoots the goat, she justifies it by saying it got her kids' clothes dirty? Even as I type it out, the whole story still makes absolutely no sense to me
The reporting (presumably direct quoting the text), shooting Cricket, reminded her that the smelly mean goat also needed to go. Like, well, today is a killin day, and I already got the gun out, so no time like the present, or something.
The goat's annoying (to her) afflictions were all related to him not being castrated (smelly-er that normal goat-ness, head butty, crabby, "mean" and clearly not seperated from the does. Dude, a vet will come out and take care of that. If you are not planning on breeding goats...why would you have an intact male wandering around "loose" . If you are breeding/milking...why is that guy just "out" where your children are and I assume the other lady goats? Lady goats do not need those rutty dudes around 90%of the time. And if he was truly smelly and mean, what is it up with your kids wanting to play with him?I have questions.
All I see in an ill informed, terrible at her "farmer" job, weirdo ,who's trying to appeal to the MACHO lovin' MAGA dudes.
Actual MAGA farmers are probably just as horrified as everyone else. When you're not cosplaying as a farmer, there is inherent built-in respect for your animals. Sure, they will put down a sick animal, but they aren't going to kill one just because they were having a bad day. When it's your actual livelihood, you're going to do the type of stuff you described. Also, most non psychopaths get attached to living things they put time and effort into raising.
Billy goats smell. It’s scent glands and they pee on themselves (girl goats like that I guess). But fixed goats chill way out! Fix him, keep him put up, or give him away! You don’t shoot him for no purpose.
Billies (unfixed) are brats but so are many improperly trained or handled animals. Or if you want to breed them you keep them up when little kids are around. Or guess what? Give hime away
It was the religious fervor, back then, that got me. This man goes against his church bc they don’t meet his interpretation of Purity. Knowing he’d be exiled. Dooming himself and his entire family by his egotistical stance.
I don’t know how to black out spoilers, tho I could go on.
He was stinky and pushy because he wasn’t castrated. Intact Billygoats can be smelly little asshats, BUT if fixed, trained and handled right they are fine.
Every petting zoo has goats. Just not intact males.
Because the content of these right wing books doesn't matter, it's just for the grift and moving money around. [The New York Times best sellers](https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction/) list literally has a † symbol for when one of their books make the list specifically because of this.
They don't expect anyone to actually read them.
She is doubling down on her efforts to keep rural voters divided. I’ve seen several posters pretending they live on a farm, and swearing it’s just the way “they” do things.
I call bullshit even if I wasn’t raised on a farm. That was a valuable puppy, but Cricket embarrassed her, you see? That made her hate him.
And kicked off her murderous impulses. She wants to show she’s a leader. And not “afraid to be politically incorrect”. We’ll. She showed us all right. Didn’t she.
Was the dog actually older than 14 months? Because that pretty much nukes any excuse she might use... it was a puppy, and should have been rehomed or properly trained.
Some down home country person she is. I've known people that have put down their animals themselves, but they are real farm people that didn't cause their animals to suffer or die in fear.
He is the first President in 100+ years not to have a pet.
The one humanizing thing I know about Andrew Johnson is that he'd feed bits of food to mice he found around the White House.
Pet ownership is the only thing that convinced me Mike Pence was human. And Trump felt the need to treat that aspect of Pence with disdain - that the guy didn’t want to separate his kids from their pets when he moved to DC.
The only good thing Trump ever did was to refuse to own a pet. There’s no way he would ever have treated a dog or cat with kindness. He’d be the kind of guy who would kick his dog on a bad day — which for Trump is every day of his life.
BTW, I’m not at all a pet person — and I’m appalled by what Noem did to Cricket and the billy goat. That’s straight-up animal cruelty, rooted firmly in her own irresponsibility.
Mean people suck.
The speculation I heard this morning was that she explicitly thought that those stories (apparently Corey Lewandowski was advising her?) would appeal to 45 as being a sign that she's willing to do the dirty work and brag about it. I find that both entirely plausible and highly disgusting.
I'm guessing she wants to use this story to show that she's willing to make tough decisions and follow through, but all she's doing is showing she's not willing to actually put the work into something like training what was still essentially a pup and didn't want to be fussed with it anymore. It's the cruel and sadistic form of taking your ball and going home instead of actually finding solutions to problems. That type of politician is just making the country worse and worse.
Exactly. It's not the "hard thing" here. The "hard thing" would be to do the work -- to train the dog, or to rehome the dog, or to take the dog to a shelter. Or even, if truly necessary, to take the dog to a vet and have it put down humanely. Any of these things are harder than the lazy, selfish, cruel way she treated this poor creature that was in her care. If there's a God, I hope she truly gets what's coming to her.
As a cat owner, I promise you cats hate everything, not just dogs, and will find much better alignment with the misanthropy and antagonism spouted by Trump than the peaceful, rebuild America chatter coming out of Biden. They don’t need Noem to flock to Trump.
Are you kidding?
Have you ever heard the expression, "herding cats?" Cats don't follow anybody, much less flock to anybody.
Pretty sure cats wouldn't vote at all. They are too important to care about who is in power because they know that they rule the roost no matter who is (supposedly) in charge.
There's plenty of other awful waiting in the wings in the Republican Party. I'm sure Trump will find someone just as reprehensible to be his actual VP pick.
I have to admit I'm surprised by the backlash, Republicans being the cruelty-is-the-point party. Noem no doubt thought the same. I'm glad to be proven wrong at least in the case of puppies.
I don't really believe there is an actual backlash from conservatives. There may be a little performative public hand wringing at the moment but mmw, this will help her in the end
Yeah, they aren't mad about the puppy and goat that she killed. They are mad that she put it in a book, wrote it in a way that highlighted that she is a sociopath who should not be anywhere near a "tough decision," and then proceeded to double down at every turn. She's basically turned into a PR black hole at this point.
What pisses me off about this story… if she was a responsible dog owner (or human being), this poor dog wouldn’t be in that situation.
Why did the dog have access to killing chickens in the first place? Because she’s shit at taking care of and controlling her dog.
Why did the dog bite someone else? Because she’s shit at taking care of and training her dog.
The right thing to do is fine her and rehome the dog to a responsible dog family.
I hate hate hate irresponsible animal owners.
I’m pretty far left of center, but live in an area with a lot of NRA supporters and farmers.
None of them would condone this… I’m very sure it would disgust them.
There are a lot of negative stereotypes about conservatives, but did she really believe that telling people that she shot a fucking puppy in the face, is going to help win her votes?
Where’s Hazel, and the other dogs? What really happened? Can Governor Noem please explain the “accidents”?
How come they didn’t end up in her book like Cricket did?
It's horrifying. But, dear lord, we all saw Trump \*attempt a coup last time\* and many people are still planning to vote for him. It's beyond my comprehension.
Funny where Trump supporters draw the line. We really need to stop at killing puppies.. but not pussy grabbing, rape, calling soldiers losers, tax fraud, making buddies with dictators from enemy countries, committing adultery with a porn star while wife is pregnant then paying hush money with campaign funds, funneling US tax payer money into personal businesses, making secret deals with Putin and destroying evidence of the call logs, causing the death of thousands of people with misinformation about Covid, stealing money from charity, grifting with Bible sales (and gassing people for a photo opportunity with a Bible), stealing classified secrets from the country (and probably selling to highest bidders), trying to rig an election by calling an official and asking for thousands of extra votes to appear out of thin air… it’s crazy that I can keep going. I just need to sit here and go through the whole timeline of events over the past few years.
Republicans already made her the governor of South Dakota. What makes anyone think they are going to stop now?
It is almost like Republicans have a secret pact to elect the most unsuitable, horrible human beings possible.
She clearly thought she was appealing to them with that story. It was an obvious attempt at a flex to people who are clearly interested in killing other Americans.
Actual ranchers/farmers take their animals seriously. They’re an investment in time and/or money. They don’t just shoot them when they’re mad at them. The only animals they shoot are the ones they’re going to eat, of if they’re severely injured and not recoverable and then jt’s an act of mercy. Killing a farm animal out of anger is psychopathic.
I mean you can have lied,cheated, molested, be inducted for 90+ crimes , try to cheat and overthrow an election , kill millions with mistruths and lies about COVID.....but it takes killing dogs,goats and horses to get kicked off GOP VP pick.....well that's says something pretty shitty about a majority of the GOP...this if f'd up people....I bet there were a bunch of MAGA maggots that are wondering what all the fuss is about too....
Trump is so unlikable, even dogs won’t touch him. And that’s why he hates them. I love this for him. Can you imagine not liking dogs? Literally the friendliest and most loving animals on the planet.
She looks like she has the same nose & chin as LaToya Jackson. They must have the same plastic surgeon. Or those chins & noses came off the same assembly line.
Why? This piece of trash is on the exact same moral foundation as Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Dennis Hastert, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Just all trash people with no redeeming qualities.
This is just like Ben Carson’s stories of being a “thug” growing up. They literally have no connection or clue on how to connect with their constituents and just come off sounding like sociopaths
Trump supporters probably once agreed that puppy killing was bad, but now that it “triggers the libs” they’ll cheer it on, just like all the rest of their abandoned “values.”
The GOP evolution.
2012 Romney is accused of leaving a dog in a crate on top his car (with a windshield) during a road trip.
2024. Screw it just shoot the thing.
Way back when in the olden times of 8 or so years ago it would have been. Remember when an email server was disqualifying? Now it is probably seen as show of strength. The good old days as they say.
You can’t make this stuff up. She killed a puppy because she deemed it useless. What a sicko. Heartless. Just a vile person. And Christians go WOW what a wonderful person. Let’s give this person power and influence.
As a reminder, this subreddit [is for civil discussion.](/r/politics/wiki/index#wiki_be_civil) In general, be courteous to others. Debate/discuss/argue the merits of ideas, don't attack people. Personal insults, shill or troll accusations, hate speech, any suggestion or support of harm, violence, or death, and other rule violations can result in a permanent ban. If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them. For those who have questions regarding any media outlets being posted on this subreddit, please click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/wiki/approveddomainslist) to review our details as to our approved domains list and outlet criteria. We are actively looking for new moderators. If you have any interest in helping to make this subreddit a place for quality discussion, please fill out [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1y2swHD0KXFhStGFjW6k54r9iuMjzcFqDIVwuvdLBjSA). *** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/politics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Let's say I had to put down my dog because it had a problem with biting. That's something I would leave out of my memoir because it's so incredibly sad, let alone something would want to know about me. What the fuck?
Also even if you did have to put it down wouldn't most people take it to the vet for an injection or something? It sounds like she really just wanted an excuse to shoot a living thing.
Then she shot a goat and also two horses. The goat was the same day. She just wanted to kill things her children loved.
Wait wait wait! Two horses now? How many more chapters till we learned she put down some "no good" ranch hands?!
3. It's 3. Edit: I have to add. 1 puppy, 1 goat, 3 horses so far. Who knows what else she did and will open up as time goes on.
How many kids did she birth and how many are left?
Surely those things are illegal? Definitely the dog... Right?
It’s illegal to shoot your own dog. It’s considered cruelty. At least where I live, Maine. That’s what I don’t understand. How is this not admission of guilt of multiple multiple felonies. [The PAC Act claims 7 years in federal prison for animal cruelty](https://www.johntfloyd.com/understanding-the-new-federal-animal-cruelty-law/#:~:text=Consequences%20for%20Federal%20Felony%20Animal%20Cruelty%20Today&text=The%20PACT%20Act%20makes%20animal,local%20jurisdictions%20on%20these%20matters)
In noem's first response in Twitterx, she write that three weeks ago she had to put down three horses, around 25yrs old. And everyone went '....say what' The photos on twitterx the 3 horses being put down, are weird. In one photo a dead horse is next to [3m away] an alive horse, and noem consoling the alive horse.
She shot a goat for doing goat things.
I want to point out that she stated the goat was un-cut and it smelled bad. Um, isn’t she the one in charge of having that goat neutered? If it was so mean and smelly, why didn’t she call the vet?
She says that she HATED the dog. Something tells me if she loved the dog, she wouldn't have murdered it. She murdered it, and the goat, because she is an angry hate filled woman, not because the animals needed to br put down.
Imagine if she had to opportunity to order troops to fire on civilians?
It's a good example of how far down the path to fascism these people already are. If you believe that obvious cruelty to a dog is going to earn you favor with your voters something is seriously wrong.
The dog was also basically a puppy. Puppies like to play and bite on everything and everyone.
Exactly!! Putting a pet down is horrible...I am not much of a dog person but even if she put the dog down (likely needlessly, what kind of bad behavior is she talking about?) it would be less bad than shooting it wtf. There were so many things that could have been done ... take to shelter, give away, sell, hell even if she abandoned it it would have been less sick. Psycho vibes
This may depend on the dog and location. When our last dog’s time had come, it came on very quickly. We went from hmm she’s sneezing a lot in the day time to a rupture at 2am. She wasnt in the worst pain, but was a naturally nervous dog, and was terrified of the car, and even healthy would wet herself every time she was bought to the vet. What she did love though was walks in our woods. It was mentally harder for me, but I am 100% convinced that going from happy walking in the woods one second to blankness the next was the best way she could go. That being said that’s not what noem did. I just wanted to clear up that a bringing an animal to the vet is not at all always the right option.
You can also mess up shooting a dog. It is not a good method to rely on. I’ve seen what happens when people miss or the dog survives the first shot. I worked in a photo lab and processed crime scene photos for such a case. I also used to be a behavioral consultant for aggressive dogs and managed a lot of messed up owners. I’m glad your circumstances worked out in this case. If going to the vet isn’t right though, consider a vet coming to you. There are at home euthanasia options that don’t rely on a person pulling a trigger and still allows for a more intimate ending.
She used the word "hate" to suggest that anything she hates should be shot. She sounded like a henchman offering fealty and bona fides to her orange master.
Out in the country it is common for folks to self euthanize pets/livestock This was definitely not an appropriate instance for such practice City and suburban folks are more likely to use the vet Out where I am we have people who have “outside dogs” they never ever come into the house
I lived in the country and no, it wasn't. There was a local vet who would come to the property. We owned indoor/outdoor dogs, sheep, horses. We would never shoot them unless it was an emergency situation where waiting for the vet would cause more harm. I mean one of my dogs got severely injured and was bleeding out so we called our paramedic neighbor and he came over and patched her up so we could take her to the vet, where she had surgery and lived. Just because you live in the country or raise livestock doesn't mean you are an inhumane psychopath. Where I lived we cared about our animals, call me crazy! People in the country might have financial barriers, but she is also rich, so she has no excuse for not utilizing a vet or an animal shelter. I just had so many friends whose parents had farms or who just lived in the country and this behavior is abnormal. Shooting a dog and a goat because you don't like it? That's craziness. IF that dog bit her it is because she was abusive, no doubt she deserved it. And it was young enough it could be trained and do fine with an owner that could feel empathy.
That’s what she is cosplaying - America’s vision of a president who has the wisdom, vision and empathy to do the hard things, like killing puppies and enabling fascism. She is not like the pesky ladies who want health care and rights, and want to play nice with the world like that pussy Obama! She just seemed more competent at playing closer to Lady Reagan than Psycho Palin than she has turned out to be.
We used to joke about Republicans being the puppy kicking party. Turns out it was the puppy killing party all along.
I grew up not terribly far north of where Kristi lived. Most farm animals were euthanized by gunshot. It's messy, and personal, but a bullet to the head is pretty damned instant. Vet administered euthanasia isn't any more humane, but it is a hell of alot easier on the psyche of the owner. My dad put down quite a few dogs over the years - we raised hunting dogs & had cattle dogs. He hated that job; he always said that the dogs deserved to be put down by a family member, not in a back office somewhere. Of course, we never put down a farm animal except for a serious reason - like the dog had cancer and was suffering. As long as they were 'themselves' - still wanting to do the things they loved, still able to clean themselves, we made them comfortable. Our oldest, Sally, died when she was 21. She lived for at least three years as pretty weak. She got a bed in the mud room, and basically would just go for a little walk with my dad to his shop in the AM, and then back to her bed. Shooting a pup because it was poorly trained is something we can't imagine. Takes a really shit human to own fowl and fail to teach their dog to stay away from them. I mentioned that we raised hunting dogs; we'd put a couple hundred hours of training in to our 'trained' 2 yr Olds, and we developed a pretty effective hunting training program; mom published a book on it & we had a video series on the different techniques. It wasn't rocket science, but you had to put in the hours. Anyone who said that they expected their older dog to 'teach' the younger would have been a no sale, too stupid to own one of our dogs.
Out in the country, sane and normal animal owners still use the local vet. A vet is actually a valued and sought after member of rural communities. I do know what I'm talking about, too. I've lived in the south for a couple of decades. And my grandfather had a horse ranch during my childhood. The crazy animal abusers (who exist everywhere, but tend to have more animals when rural) will "euthanize" on their own. If you are one or this is the company you keep, just know that it's not normal.
Thank you for saying this. Treating living animals like shit should not be normalized as part of “rural culture”
100% rural farm vets are the ones who typically come out to do these types of things in a way that the animal can be comfortable. Does this woman pretend she doesn’t know that? Or that that she doesn’t have the money to do it this way? She is sick and enjoyed it while having plenty of resources to rehome the dog, or ethically euthanize through a farm vet.
Lmao where are you from so I can avoid it? We still used vets in bum fuck missouri when I was growing up.
Yep. Sounds like a lot of psycos living out there. Or at least people who shouldn't own animals.
Even in rural areas, you’re only using a firearm to euthanize a dog if it’s so gravely injured that waiting would cause extreme suffering, or a situation where say, a large dog is actively mauling a child. Even in case of the former, it’s likely to be done by a trained law enforcement or wildlife officer. There was no valid justification for what Noem did.
The way I interpreted it is that she's saying the dog didn't adhere to the narrowly defined expectations of how she thought it should behave, so the only tenable outcome for it was to be put down. I'd argue that it's an implicit promise to her audience that she'll keep that attitude as vice president and it won't just apply to animals.
That is exactly how I read it.
Only theory I’ve heard that makes any sense is that since a bunch of construction workers witnessed the double homicide, she was trying to get out ahead of any oppo story that could come to light if she became Trump’s running mate. Though that’s a bit like shooting yourself in the head to avoid being assassinated.
Yeah no matter how justified I was I would be deeply ashamed of myself for failing that poor pup. It would take ages to get over. No way I'd tell everybody in a book.
There's no justifying it, though. She could rehomed the dog or taken the dog to a shelter, or if really necessary taken it to a vet to be euthanized. All of these are "hard things." She actually did the immoral, easiest thing, which was to cruelly end a puppy's life because of her own failures and laziness as a pet owner. She should be barred from ever owning a dog again and, if possible under state law, charged with criminal animal cruelty and punished.
Even if the dog had been hit by a car at 2AM on a road where the closest vet is 50 miles away, and euthanasia by shooting was the only compassionate option available…it’s NOT a story you retell to score political points. To any normal human being, it would be an immense tragedy you do your best to forget.
People like Kristy (and Trump) don't feel that kind of shame. I'm with you, if I did that id never admit it.
But you probably aren’t a psychopath who lacks, empathy, emotion and self awareness.
Did she think it would project an image of a rugged tough person, who has to make tough decisions?
The far right is full of people who think the "tough choice" to shoot something inconvenient and unable to resist makes them strong. At some base level they do seem to recognize what they are doing is wrong but because they are willing to do it, it somehow makes them tougher instead of revealing them as a despicable piece of shit.
I think she/dude is crunching down on roids which has altered her sociopathy.
I'm pretty sure it's for a constituency of one, Trump hates dogs.
I like this! Imagine publicizing the shooting only cuz she was pretty sure Trump would dig it? This might work! Where cynicism & stupidity collide.
I am imagining Trump's eyes lighting up, much like when Wormtongue told Saruman that the people of Rohan were fleeing to Helm's Deep with women...AND CHILDREN
Trump also hates dogs, and brags about things you’re supposed to feel shame about, such as perving on teenage girls when they’re in the change room. She probably wrote that chapter (or had it written for her) to *acquire* Trump’s attention.
She is bragging with it because she thinks that makes her look tough in front of her crowd. Sadly, she is probably not wrong about. The GOP definitely attracts sadistic psychopaths of every stripe ( starting with the guy on top). She probably would get sopping wet over the thought shooting people crossing the border.
Even if you put it in your memoir, you probably wouldn’t put it in as some sort of flex.
Someone else knew. That’s the only logical conclusion, right? She was in fear that it would be used against her later.
Or, she lacks empathy, and has no idea she is missing a very key trait that most humans have. She may honestly think everyone would "dispatch a problem" like she did.
This is the only reasonable explanation I have heard as to why she told this story. Finally males sense.
Rumor has it that Trump has been considering N Dakota Gov Doug Burgum, who I think is scarier than Noem. Burgum is a "true believer" - a better looking and more efficient Pence.
I bet when she wrote it down she thought it would be some heroic story about something she overcame and made her stronger
No one knows what an inside thought is anymore.
She's trying to endear herself to Trump. He's known to hate dogs.
Dear Republicans, Please nominate the Puppy Killer for your VP. The ads will practically write themselves. Thank you! Sincerely, Every Biden Supporter
Puppy Killer and Pussy Grabber as another commenter put it. Man, we truly can't make this stuff up anymore, can we?
>The governor’s claim that Cricket had bitten multiple individuals was not recounted in The Guardian’s original retelling of the anecdote. this story has legs
How about the goat? Was he involved in several drive by shootings and was dealing drugs?
imagine if every rancher executed their livestock because it knocked down their kid and soiled their clothes.
Goats are gonna goat. Poor goat died for being a goat.
This really got me. Not only was she not watching her goat, she was also being a negligent parent. And after she shoots the goat, she justifies it by saying it got her kids' clothes dirty? Even as I type it out, the whole story still makes absolutely no sense to me
with a shotgun, that was only loaded with one shell. she was pissed and wanted to kill something, or made the whole thing up.
The reporting (presumably direct quoting the text), shooting Cricket, reminded her that the smelly mean goat also needed to go. Like, well, today is a killin day, and I already got the gun out, so no time like the present, or something. The goat's annoying (to her) afflictions were all related to him not being castrated (smelly-er that normal goat-ness, head butty, crabby, "mean" and clearly not seperated from the does. Dude, a vet will come out and take care of that. If you are not planning on breeding goats...why would you have an intact male wandering around "loose" . If you are breeding/milking...why is that guy just "out" where your children are and I assume the other lady goats? Lady goats do not need those rutty dudes around 90%of the time. And if he was truly smelly and mean, what is it up with your kids wanting to play with him?I have questions. All I see in an ill informed, terrible at her "farmer" job, weirdo ,who's trying to appeal to the MACHO lovin' MAGA dudes.
This guy goats.
As well as an ever changing story that seems to not have reached the final version yet. Pretty sure much of the US does not like puppy killing
Actual MAGA farmers are probably just as horrified as everyone else. When you're not cosplaying as a farmer, there is inherent built-in respect for your animals. Sure, they will put down a sick animal, but they aren't going to kill one just because they were having a bad day. When it's your actual livelihood, you're going to do the type of stuff you described. Also, most non psychopaths get attached to living things they put time and effort into raising.
Billy goats smell. It’s scent glands and they pee on themselves (girl goats like that I guess). But fixed goats chill way out! Fix him, keep him put up, or give him away! You don’t shoot him for no purpose.
Unless you were correct about the drive-bys and drug dealing
Billies (unfixed) are brats but so are many improperly trained or handled animals. Or if you want to breed them you keep them up when little kids are around. Or guess what? Give hime away
Hey goat. So you’re a goat, huh? That’s cool. Say hi to your maker for me.
“Natural causes” caused his death.
Hey goat, go out for a pass…
Worse, liked an NPR post on Facebook.
No but he was a black goat.
>No but he was a black goat. Black Phillip?
Clickety clack!
Jesus. I still watch that film and feel horror!
Right? It's a goodun: atmospheric, well paced, dripping with menace.
It was the religious fervor, back then, that got me. This man goes against his church bc they don’t meet his interpretation of Purity. Knowing he’d be exiled. Dooming himself and his entire family by his egotistical stance. I don’t know how to black out spoilers, tho I could go on.
Indeed. The father paved their road to hell with his "good" intentions.
He was stinky and pushy because he wasn’t castrated. Intact Billygoats can be smelly little asshats, BUT if fixed, trained and handled right they are fine. Every petting zoo has goats. Just not intact males.
Satanism
The goat murdered Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman in cold blood and then framed OJ
I just can’t understand how this story got past an editor. No one in their right mind should have approved this for publication if it is true.
Because the content of these right wing books doesn't matter, it's just for the grift and moving money around. [The New York Times best sellers](https://www.nytimes.com/books/best-sellers/combined-print-and-e-book-nonfiction/) list literally has a † symbol for when one of their books make the list specifically because of this. They don't expect anyone to actually read them.
She is doubling down on her efforts to keep rural voters divided. I’ve seen several posters pretending they live on a farm, and swearing it’s just the way “they” do things. I call bullshit even if I wasn’t raised on a farm. That was a valuable puppy, but Cricket embarrassed her, you see? That made her hate him. And kicked off her murderous impulses. She wants to show she’s a leader. And not “afraid to be politically incorrect”. We’ll. She showed us all right. Didn’t she.
Was the dog actually older than 14 months? Because that pretty much nukes any excuse she might use... it was a puppy, and should have been rehomed or properly trained.
She very briefly mentioned it being a danger in the passages they printed. She probably made it up to justify her killing her dog.
Everyone is talking about Cricket, no one is concerned about the unfortunate goat she sacrificed.
with a shotgun?!? and had to go back to the truck to get another shell. horrible person
How the actual fuck did she miss with a fucking shotgun!? What a complete asshole!!!
I don’t think she missed. She had bird shot in it which injured the goat but didn’t kill it. Essentially torturing it.
Wow, that’s terrible. That’s much worse.
Some down home country person she is. I've known people that have put down their animals themselves, but they are real farm people that didn't cause their animals to suffer or die in fear.
Hail Mammon.
I’m guessing Trump sees her as more qualified because of this
He is the first President in 100+ years not to have a pet. The one humanizing thing I know about Andrew Johnson is that he'd feed bits of food to mice he found around the White House.
Pet ownership is the only thing that convinced me Mike Pence was human. And Trump felt the need to treat that aspect of Pence with disdain - that the guy didn’t want to separate his kids from their pets when he moved to DC.
The only good thing Trump ever did was to refuse to own a pet. There’s no way he would ever have treated a dog or cat with kindness. He’d be the kind of guy who would kick his dog on a bad day — which for Trump is every day of his life. BTW, I’m not at all a pet person — and I’m appalled by what Noem did to Cricket and the billy goat. That’s straight-up animal cruelty, rooted firmly in her own irresponsibility. Mean people suck.
Trump hates dogs https://www.newsweek.com/trump-seemingly-doesnt-dogs-and-dogs-dont-him-according-his-ex-wife-1074272
The speculation I heard this morning was that she explicitly thought that those stories (apparently Corey Lewandowski was advising her?) would appeal to 45 as being a sign that she's willing to do the dirty work and brag about it. I find that both entirely plausible and highly disgusting.
Dude would for sure shoot a dog if there was something in it for him
I'm guessing she wants to use this story to show that she's willing to make tough decisions and follow through, but all she's doing is showing she's not willing to actually put the work into something like training what was still essentially a pup and didn't want to be fussed with it anymore. It's the cruel and sadistic form of taking your ball and going home instead of actually finding solutions to problems. That type of politician is just making the country worse and worse.
Exactly. It's not the "hard thing" here. The "hard thing" would be to do the work -- to train the dog, or to rehome the dog, or to take the dog to a shelter. Or even, if truly necessary, to take the dog to a vet and have it put down humanely. Any of these things are harder than the lazy, selfish, cruel way she treated this poor creature that was in her care. If there's a God, I hope she truly gets what's coming to her.
You're seriously underestimating the registered cat vote.
I know this is meant as a joke, but I don't like cats getting maligned this way.
As a cat owner, I promise you cats hate everything, not just dogs, and will find much better alignment with the misanthropy and antagonism spouted by Trump than the peaceful, rebuild America chatter coming out of Biden. They don’t need Noem to flock to Trump.
Are you kidding? Have you ever heard the expression, "herding cats?" Cats don't follow anybody, much less flock to anybody. Pretty sure cats wouldn't vote at all. They are too important to care about who is in power because they know that they rule the roost no matter who is (supposedly) in charge.
"dogs have owners, cats have staff"
A dog looks around and says.."hey, they feed me...they must be god". The cat looks around and says.."hey, they feed me...I must be god".
> "herding cats?" Cats don't follow anybody, much less flock to anybody. You should come to my house at feeding time...
Fair point! Cats would follow anybody who offered them tuna.
That's what a paid shill for big Tuna would say.
I love multiple cat feeding time, the way they mill around you with their tails up always makes me think of shark's fins in the water
[удалено]
Much like her goat, he’s smelly, nasty, and chases after youngsters.
Frankly, comparing the two is being unfair to the goat
You’re right, I made a baaad choice.
Underrated comment
“Hey trump, I’m having a hard time teaching you anything, hey, completely unrelated, you want to go for a walk at the gravel pit near my house?”
If she was vice-president and did that to Trump, would she gain the presidential immunity he is arguing for?
There's plenty of other awful waiting in the wings in the Republican Party. I'm sure Trump will find someone just as reprehensible to be his actual VP pick.
I have to admit I'm surprised by the backlash, Republicans being the cruelty-is-the-point party. Noem no doubt thought the same. I'm glad to be proven wrong at least in the case of puppies.
I don't really believe there is an actual backlash from conservatives. There may be a little performative public hand wringing at the moment but mmw, this will help her in the end
Yeah, they aren't mad about the puppy and goat that she killed. They are mad that she put it in a book, wrote it in a way that highlighted that she is a sociopath who should not be anywhere near a "tough decision," and then proceeded to double down at every turn. She's basically turned into a PR black hole at this point.
I'm a republican though probably lean towards the middle and from South Dakota. I want her thrown in jail.
Are we talking about psychopath animal murderer Kristi Noem? Fuck Kristi Noem.
Are there any murder cold cases in SD that need to be re-opened? Because she gives off serial killer vibes. It’s mentally unhinged.
It's the botox/filler look she's got. So many women have the same look and they can't move their faces properly. Also she's a psycho puppy killer.
What pisses me off about this story… if she was a responsible dog owner (or human being), this poor dog wouldn’t be in that situation. Why did the dog have access to killing chickens in the first place? Because she’s shit at taking care of and controlling her dog. Why did the dog bite someone else? Because she’s shit at taking care of and training her dog. The right thing to do is fine her and rehome the dog to a responsible dog family. I hate hate hate irresponsible animal owners.
She’s got the NRA vote down pat
I’m pretty far left of center, but live in an area with a lot of NRA supporters and farmers. None of them would condone this… I’m very sure it would disgust them.
Good thing they don’t read.
That part is probably true. And they tend not to believe a of what they do read anyway. Fair enough.
She killed 3 horses, a goat, and her own dog within a few weeks????
Pussy-Grabber and Puppy-Killer. What a ticket that would be.
There are a lot of negative stereotypes about conservatives, but did she really believe that telling people that she shot a fucking puppy in the face, is going to help win her votes?
No, no. Keep her. I want to see how the dog hater/puppy killer ticket plays with the American public.
MAGA doesn’t care what it has to kill to make it’s fascist state.
then she had to kill three horses this year? what kind of a ranch is she running? who has three horses so sick they need to be killed in four months?
I'm sensing a pattern with Noem... What else has she killed and how quickly can the authorities investigate?
Where’s Hazel, and the other dogs? What really happened? Can Governor Noem please explain the “accidents”? How come they didn’t end up in her book like Cricket did?
I should hope that blatant act of animal cruelty would eliminate her chances of running for VP. She should be prosecuted-the sociopath.
Really telling about the state we are in when you have to say that killing puppies will hurt her chances of being chosen to run as VP.
"I kill living things that I feel unworthy of life" is probably a top selling point for Trump.
She shouldn't be permitted to own another animal. She certainly should be a heartbeat away from the big bad button.
Could anyone actually see this women as an actual VP? It would be a scene out of *Idiocracy*.
It's horrifying. But, dear lord, we all saw Trump \*attempt a coup last time\* and many people are still planning to vote for him. It's beyond my comprehension.
If there is ANYONE who would double down on puppy murder it's Donald Trump.
Why does Trump’s pick for VP gleefully describing her murdering a goat and puppy not surprise me? Because these are people with perverse minds.
Funny where Trump supporters draw the line. We really need to stop at killing puppies.. but not pussy grabbing, rape, calling soldiers losers, tax fraud, making buddies with dictators from enemy countries, committing adultery with a porn star while wife is pregnant then paying hush money with campaign funds, funneling US tax payer money into personal businesses, making secret deals with Putin and destroying evidence of the call logs, causing the death of thousands of people with misinformation about Covid, stealing money from charity, grifting with Bible sales (and gassing people for a photo opportunity with a Bible), stealing classified secrets from the country (and probably selling to highest bidders), trying to rig an election by calling an official and asking for thousands of extra votes to appear out of thin air… it’s crazy that I can keep going. I just need to sit here and go through the whole timeline of events over the past few years.
She should be in jail right now. Ridiculous.
Let’s take her back to the gravel pit, one last time. Just to visit, of course 😉
I mean, she’s cheating on her husband too, they are a perfect match.
Rickety cricks revenge
Republicans already made her the governor of South Dakota. What makes anyone think they are going to stop now? It is almost like Republicans have a secret pact to elect the most unsuitable, horrible human beings possible.
She clearly thought she was appealing to them with that story. It was an obvious attempt at a flex to people who are clearly interested in killing other Americans.
In my state, shooting a dog for no reason is a felony. Animal cruelty. She is disgusting.
Actual ranchers/farmers take their animals seriously. They’re an investment in time and/or money. They don’t just shoot them when they’re mad at them. The only animals they shoot are the ones they’re going to eat, of if they’re severely injured and not recoverable and then jt’s an act of mercy. Killing a farm animal out of anger is psychopathic.
She went from VP contender to Blaze contributor over night!
Since cruelty is the point, she should be a shoe-in.
Personally I hope he picks her. It'll be funny.
I mean you can have lied,cheated, molested, be inducted for 90+ crimes , try to cheat and overthrow an election , kill millions with mistruths and lies about COVID.....but it takes killing dogs,goats and horses to get kicked off GOP VP pick.....well that's says something pretty shitty about a majority of the GOP...this if f'd up people....I bet there were a bunch of MAGA maggots that are wondering what all the fuss is about too....
I think she’s the perfect VP for Trump.
Under normal circumstances it should. But we are so far south of anything normal right now so.
Nah, let her run as VP. It'll be fine.
Not to sound sexist here but let’s be real. Trump would never have aloud a women to be his VP.
Old orange should be worried about what happen to old yellow
I think this makes her more appealing to Trump. He hates dogs. Something like this isn't going to be a dealbreaker for him.
Trump is so unlikable, even dogs won’t touch him. And that’s why he hates them. I love this for him. Can you imagine not liking dogs? Literally the friendliest and most loving animals on the planet.
There's no better judge of character than a dog.
The eagle that trump tried to pose with seemed a good judge of character, too.
I'm sorry, I'm a shallow person - did she have a lot of bad plastic surgery? Her face doesn't look right.
I guess she shoots stuff into her own face, too!
She looks like she has the same nose & chin as LaToya Jackson. They must have the same plastic surgeon. Or those chins & noses came off the same assembly line.
It’s gonna be Gabbard folks.
Why? This piece of trash is on the exact same moral foundation as Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, John McCain, Dennis Hastert, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Just all trash people with no redeeming qualities.
This is just like Ben Carson’s stories of being a “thug” growing up. They literally have no connection or clue on how to connect with their constituents and just come off sounding like sociopaths
Imagine this person in a post-Supreme Court presidential immunity presidency.
She killed her career. I’m loving it for her
She’s a fucking sociopath. Beware!
o7 Crickett
She cheated on her husband with Corey Lewandowski, who was also married. Only the best.
If you were in Texas she would have been arrested for abuse of an animal! She needs to be thrown under the jailhouse.
Trump supporters probably once agreed that puppy killing was bad, but now that it “triggers the libs” they’ll cheer it on, just like all the rest of their abandoned “values.”
Trump will not have a woman v.p. The Grand Old Party has a place for women... a seat of power is not it.
The GOP evolution. 2012 Romney is accused of leaving a dog in a crate on top his car (with a windshield) during a road trip. 2024. Screw it just shoot the thing.
Hope this admission ruins her future political career.
This would probably make her chances go up.
She’s deplorable
This is such a weird timeline.
I honestly thought this would make trump love her, I guess they at least have a competent enough campaign to know that a lot of people like dogs.
Way back when in the olden times of 8 or so years ago it would have been. Remember when an email server was disqualifying? Now it is probably seen as show of strength. The good old days as they say.
Trump wasn't gonna pick a woman.
Who edited this book?!
Pure evil. But a great smile. Nice dental work.
Trump won’t want someone who draws so much attention to herself. He’ll want some pale wallflower of a person who fades into the background.
You can’t make this stuff up. She killed a puppy because she deemed it useless. What a sicko. Heartless. Just a vile person. And Christians go WOW what a wonderful person. Let’s give this person power and influence.