Noem suggests Biden’s dog should have same fate as the pet she shot

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem came for President Biden’s dog in her book, suggesting that bite-prone Commander should be treated the same way as her dog Cricket that she shot and killed.

Ms. Noem has a new book coming out, “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward.” In one part she recounts the story of how she shot and killed her 14-month-old wirehaired pointer after it escaped and killed another family’s chicken flock on the way home from a hunting trip. She was training Cricket to hunt pheasants, but the dog was a lost cause, she said. 

In a CBS “Sunday Morning” interview, she was asked about the excerpt in her book where she said on her first day as president she would make sure Commander was not on the White House grounds.

“What would I do if I was president on the first day in office in 2025? Thanks for asking. I happen to have a list. The first thing I’d do is make sure Joe Biden’s dog was nowhere on the grounds (‘Commander, say hello to Cricket for me’). But my dog, Foster, would sure be welcome. He comes with me to the Capitol all the time and loves everyone,” the excerpt says, according to CNN.

CBS host Margaret Brennan asked her if she was “doing this to try to look tough.”

“Joe Biden’s dog has attacked 24 Secret Service people,” Ms. Noem said. “So how many people is enough people to be attacked and dangerously hurt before you make a decision on a dog?”

Mr. Biden’s then-2-year-old German Shepherd has been involved in numerous biting incidents at the White House and other locations. The dog was removed from the White House over the incidents last October.

When asked if Ms. Noem was suggesting the dog should be shot, she said, “That what’s the president should be accountable to.”

Ms. Noem, a Republican who reportedly has been on former President Donald Trump’s short list for a running mate, has been criticized for sharing this story in her memoir.

Democrats were quick to mock the story, sharing photos of their dogs on social media.

She has doubled down on her decision to share the episode, saying the “book is filled with many honest stories of my life, good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions, and lessons learned.”

“My hope is anyone reading this book will have an understanding that I always work to make the best decisions I can for the people in my life,” she said in the X post. “The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down. Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did.”

Reports have revealed that Ms. Noem’s chances of becoming Mr. Trump’s vice president have become slim to none after the bad press her book has received.