South Dakota Republican Governor and dog shooting advocate Kristi Noem went off on Fox Business host Stuart Varney for asking about her decision to boast about several acts of animal cruelty in her upcoming memoir.
Many media personalities and political pundits have questioned what motivated Noem to include the anecdote in the book. Noem detailed shooting a 14-month-old German Wirehaired Pointer puppy named Cricket—and a goat she "hated" because it smelled bad—in a gravel pit.
Apparently the Republican VP hopeful dislikes being questioned about the only thing most people want to know about Kristi Noem—if her reaction to Varney is any indication.
You can see the relevant interactions here:
Varney told Noem:
"We’ve been consumed with emails saying I won’t vote for this person. I won’t vote for Trump if he puts her in the vice presidential spot."
Noem responded with her usual "farm life" and "real Americans" excuse:
"Well, I’ll tell you, Stuart, I’m sorry you’re not hearing from real Americans that live on farms and ranches."
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When Varney asked for a straight answer on whether Noem specifically spoke to Trump about her dog shooting, the GOP VP hopeful snapped:
"Enough, Stuart. This interview is ridiculous, which you are doing right now. So you need to stop!"
"[Shooting puppies in gravel pits] is okay. It is."
"Let’s talk about some real topics that Americans care about."
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Varney then informed Noem the interview was over, saying:
"I’m afraid we’re out of time."
Noem snarked:
"Oh, well, of course we are."
Despite Noem's claim real Americans don't care about her penchant for shooting animals she "hated" in fits of rage...
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...multiple social media platforms indicate Americans want to discuss almost nothing else about Kristi Noem.
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People thought they knew why Noem had to include the story—with her "I'm a bada**" spin—in her book.
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Many took exception to Noem's "real Americans" comment and her claims that farmers and ranchers approve of her methods.
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Several hoped Noem would be Trump's choice for VP.
But not for altruistic reasons.
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Noem has repeatedly doubled down on her choice, attempted to claim shooting puppies is standard farm life—which even conservative mouthpiece Tomi Lahren refuted—and suggested Biden should shoot one of his dogs, too.
The Trump campaign hasn't officially chosen a 2024 running mate for the presumptive GOP presidential candidate.
It remains to be seen whether dog shooter pushes Noem to the head of the pack.
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