South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem may have taken a big chance after all.
Former President Donald Trump defended Nomu from the uproar that erupted after she said in her memoir that she had shot and killed a 14-month-old wire-haired pointer named Cricket.
“Until this week, she was doing incredibly well, but she was hit hard. Sometimes people write books and you might not read them as carefully.” and President Trump Speaking on “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show””
Trump added: “She did a great job as governor.” “The dog story is, when people hear it, people in different parts of the country probably feel a little differently. But it’s a difficult story, but she’s a wonderful person.”
The Biden-Harris campaign immediately pushed back against these remarks.
“The Biden campaign proudly opposes puppy killing and does not believe that people who kill puppies are ‘terrible,'” spokesman James Singer said in a statement.
Noem, 52, had long been speculated to be a front-runner to be President Trump’s running mate, but the controversy surrounding the puppy murder nearly 20 years ago seems to have put a damper on that.
The revelation was made in her book, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, which was released last Tuesday.
She has since defended the story, claiming that she had a young daughter at the time and that it was one of the “difficult decisions” she had made in her life.
Noem also said on the same day that she shot her family’s billy goat, which was “nasty, musky and foul-smelling” and was later forced to correct her claim that it had been staring at North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
After sparking controversy, Noem appears to have called off her book tour.
Trump, the first president in nearly 100 years to not own a dog, also poked fun at his thinking when considering who to nominate as vice president.
“We have a lot of good people,” he said. “I really believe you’ll do that during the tournament.”
The Republican National Convention is scheduled to be held in Milwaukee from July 15th to 18th.
“Unfortunately, I also believe that historically vice presidents have never been helpful. They may hurt a little bit, but they haven’t been helpful,” President Trump added. “After an exciting day, we will be running for president again.”
President Trump reiterated that his main criterion is to choose someone who is ready to serve as a “great” president “just in case.”
The 45th president declined to name names, but included Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Representative Lee Zeldin (R-New York), and Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio). Questions were asked about some of the candidates.
When asked if Republican lawmakers were being considered, President Trump said, “A lot of people are.”
He also emphasized that he wants Zeldin to be in power.
“Lee Zeldin is a great guy. He has our full support,” Trump said. “Mr. Lee will definitely be somewhere in the administration. He’s great. You know, he’s also a great lawyer.”
“Either way, he’s going to be with me at a high level in some way.”
The former congressman previously said he would consider serving in Trump’s administration if he wins a second term.
Zeldin served in Congress until 2023 and ran unsuccessfully for governor of the Deep Blue Empire State in 2022.
