Kristi Noem Doubles Down On Shooting Her Dog, Gets Brutally Dragged

Kristi Noem is doubling down on shooting her dog.

The South Dakota Governor has been getting crushed since it was revealed by The Guardian that Noem writes in her new book that she shot her 14-month-old dog Cricket.

Noem described the dog's behavior as that of "a trained assassin" that killed a bunch of chickens and then attempted to bite Noem. That led to the South Dakota Republican to get a gun and shoot Cricket in a gravel pit.

"It was not a pleasant job, but it had to be done. And after it was over, I realized another unpleasant job needed to be done," Noem writes in "No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward." Noem also revealed she killed a goat in the same fashion shortly afterwards. It was a complete and total massacre.

Kristi Noem dragged for story about shooting her dog. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Kristi Noem dragged for leaning into dog story.

She faced immediate backlash, and instead of hiring a great PR firm to fix the situation, Noem decided to lean into the situation. Yes, Noem thinks continuing to talk about executing her dog is a winning strategy.

"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. 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. Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle. Even if it’s hard and painful. I followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor. As I explained in the book, it wasn't easy. But often the easy way isn't the right way," Noem wrote, in part, in a Sunday tweet following massive outrage and backlash.

You can read her full tweet below, and hit me with your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

If Noem was hoping to salvage the narrative, she was very wrong, and the responses are absolutely brutal for her. Check out a handful below.

To tell you how insane Noem's admission is, I was at a handful of events Friday, and it was all anyone was talking about. People were stunned she'd admit to shooting a puppy execution style like it was the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

For the record, I grew up in rural America, and I only know of a farmer shooting a dog on the spot one time in my life. It was because the dog brutally attacked a little girl. I have never in my life after spending decades in rural America on farms and ranches ever heard of a dog getting shot because it wasn't good at hunting and killed chickens. Not once.

Noem seems to be framing it as though *checks notes* murdering your dog is part of ranch life. It's not, and nobody is dumb enough to buy that.

There are very few things Americans agree on. Loving dogs is right at the top of the list. Noem would literally face less backlash if she'd said she'd killed an actual person. Instead, she talked about shooting a 14-month-old dog because it was poorly trained, and is now trying to salvage the narrative. It's just braindead thinking.

Kristi Noem attempts to spin narrative on shooting her dog. (Credit: Photographer: Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Don't shoot your dogs, folks. Otherwise, you're going to find yourself getting dragged like Kristi Noem. Let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com. 

P.S.: I can't write about dogs and not give my favorite dog Jake a shoutout. Been gone nearly 10 years, and have never had a dog as great as him since.