Noem Defends Killing Dog, Suggests Biden’s Dog Should Be Shot

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I mean, I disagree with what Mr. Trump said there. I would like to ask you again about the book. I – I know, this question is coming because there was so much backlash over your revelation that you shot and killed a 14-month-old wire-haired pointer named Cricket. . You read in her book that she was from another family that suffered from that aggression and you were training her to hunt, but she got too excited and stopped her hunting. Ruined, and then she said she attacked and killed several chickens. Does she regret sharing this story?

Noem: You know, Margaret, this book is filled with vulnerable and painful moments in my life and times when I made some very difficult decisions. The reason this story is in the book is because people need to understand who I am and some of those difficult decisions. This was a dangerous animal that killed livestock and attacked people. And I had small children at the time, and our operation had a lot of kids running around and people interacting with the public. And I made a difficult choice. I think you are a mother too. And you have small children, would you choose between a child and a dangerous animal? And I would ask all of our citizens to put themselves in that situation. That’s what I faced and I talk about it because what I’m tired of in this country is politicians pretending to be something they’re not. They don’t want to have difficult conversations or reflect on the past and the difficult decisions they’ve made. I will tell you when people can get their hands on this book on Tuesday that what I talk about extensively in this book is the whole story and the truth, not the twists that the media has put on this story. It’s about seeing. The media publishes some of the facts and deletes most of the facts, but this is why it’s there: I’m not looking for other people to take responsibility for me. Because I want people to know that. I understood my responsibility. And as a mother, I had a choice between protecting my children and protecting them from dangerous animals that would kill livestock and attack humans. And that’s the decision I made –

BRENNAN: — Well, I explained – I explained – I think exactly how you wrote in the book. You didn’t say the dog attacked anyone, you said it tried to bite you. And I wonder why they decided the young dog was untrainable and didn’t just take him to a shelter.

Noem: This dog, well, this dog was a working dog. And it came from a family that already had issues with this dog. And I spent months training this dog. This dog also went to another trainer. So that’s all the facts of this story. What all of this shows is that you put someone in a position where they have to make a decision and they want to protect their family and protect their children and other people from attack from an animal that attacked others and killed livestock. When you’re there, it’s important. A choice I made over 20 years ago. And I didn’t ask anyone else to take that responsibility; I had to make that decision myself.

Brennan: Well, that’s because I included it as part of a chapter called “Bad Day to Be a Goat.” And after you shot the dog, you said, “As I was walking back to the garden, I realized I had to do another unpleasant job. I found a billy goat.” You said he follows children by scent. So you took him to the gravel pit and shot him twice. How, how do you justify it? How was the goat a threat? I’m asking this because it seems like we’re celebrating the killing of animals.

Noem: Not at all. This is a story that my political opponents have been trying to use against me for years. Well known in South Dakota and known to others. And I realized that the truth was coming out and that these animals were attacking my children, that we live on farms and ranches, and that many times difficult decisions are being made. I would like you to do so. And it’s about protecting people. And I tell you, the extremism of other people and how they attacked me politically, I understand it. They’re doing the same thing to me that they’re doing to Donald Trump, day in and day out. Constant attacks and follow-up attacks – During the COVID-19 pandemic, I was attacked nightly for months on end for the decisions I made. In fact, you and many other journalists attacked me on television every day for months for the decisions I made in South Dakota, the decisions I made to protect our people’s liberties.

BRENNAN: — I think we had a very, very fair interview —

Noem: I’m kind of used to being attacked –

Brennan: Ma’am, when you joined us, I said thank you for answering my questions about that. But in this regard, because, you know, you’re rumored to be a potential vice presidential candidate. And former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said, “Killing her dog and writing about it cost her any chance of being elected vice president.” She talks about it many times. In fact, at the end of the book you say that if you get to the White House, unlike Joe Biden, the first thing you’ll do is make sure Joe Biden’s dog is nowhere on the premises. , said the commander. Hello Cricket. Are they doing this to look strong? Do you think you still have a chance to become vice president?

NOEM: Well, first of all, Joe Biden’s dog attacked 24 Secret Service people. So how many people are attacked enough to sustain dangerous injuries before deciding whether to get a dog? and –

BRENNAN: — Well, he doesn’t live in the White House anymore —

NOEM: — that’s an issue that the president should be responsible for.

BRENNAN: — Are you saying he should be shot? —

NOEM: — that’s what the president should be responsible for. What – what are the numbers? And I also want to say something about the Republicans who criticize me. These are the same criticisms Republicans have made of me during the coronavirus pandemic. They criticized me when I made a different decision to defend my state in South Dakota. And my state today is very happy and prosperous. we are doing well. Thousands of people have immigrated to this state. Because they love the opportunities, the businesses, and how we’ve come to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. Everyone has the opportunity to earn higher wages. We had income and reserves, and we paid off our debts. We have a triple-A credit rating and a fully funded pension plan. We were the first state in the nation to do so.

BRENNAN: — So you’re not going to withdraw the book? —

NOEM: — Submit a bill to stop China —

Brennan: — Governor–

NOEM: — Me, this is a powerful book. It’s an honest book. This is an honest book about America’s blueprint for what Americans can do to take our country back. And I’m so proud of this book and what it does for people. I hope they buy it, there’s going to be a lot of true stories to be found, and we’re going to talk about how Donald Trump continues to be a real human being, to be honest, to be honest with people. We often talk about things that can be used as examples about how things have continued to be. and it is–

BRENNAN: — but if we had to retract that, or any part of it—

NOEM: — and the thing that bothers me the most about politicians is when they’re fake. I haven’t retracted anything. I haven’t retracted anything. No, this book…

BRENNAN: All right, Governor, thank you for taking our questions and joining us today. Face the Nation will be back soon, so stay with us.