In some ways, Kristi Noem has achieved great success with her new book, “America Can't Stop Talking About It.''
But all this chatter is not for the reasons conservative South Dakota Gov. Noem expected when she wrote her memoir, “No Going Back,'' about her political career. . The book appears to be aimed at increasing her profile as a MAGA supporter while former President Donald J. Trump considers her choice of running mate. Just a month ago, Ms. Noem was widely seen as her possible candidate.
But instead of making conservative statements, Ms. Noem spent last week on national television defending the grisly account in her book that she shot her dog in a gravel pit. The killing of a 14-month-old wire-haired pointer dog named Cricket drew bipartisan criticism and scrutiny.
The book, published Tuesday, includes many other notable details, some of which Noem talked about in a recent interview. Here are his four points.
Noem has a number of criticisms of other Republicans.
Noem's account of her tenure in office (first as South Dakota's only congressman and then as governor) includes many broad criticisms of Republicans for electoral failures, while also drawing the ire of Trump. They are also targeting people.
She described a phone conversation she had with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who withdrew from the Republican presidential primary in March, and claimed that Haley threatened her because they were both prominent Republican women. Haley's spokeswoman Cheney Denton said Noem's account of the conversation was inaccurate and “completely bizarre.”
Noem also blamed former Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for the poor performance of Republican candidates in the 2022 midterm elections, and Trump said the 2020 election was stolen. criticized her for not supporting her false claims. Noem herself wrote in that section that “Trump lost in 2020.”
“We got lazy and no one was held accountable,” she said, adding that Trump was unfairly blamed for the Republican Party's poor performance. She also called on the National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm of House Republicans, which she said is hopeful and “willing to work with” in 2024.
Noem dedicates part of her book to RINOs, or Republicans in name only, a favorite derogatory term that Trump has deployed against critics within his own party.
“In many ways, these political creatures are worse than some donkeys,” Noem wrote, referring to Democrats as “donkeys” in the section.
But Noem also blames some far-right Republicans in her party for contributing to her recent election defeat.
“Losing sucks. But Republicans just happen to be good at it,” she wrote in one section, adding: “Candidates talk like crazy, make outlandish claims, make big promises. And they lose. Of course there are crazy candidates, but I'm not talking about them. This is , a story about good people who choose the broad path of throwing bombs and parroting everything on social media instead of speaking rationally and humbly offering solutions.
Noem said it was a “difficult” choice to shoot her own dog and suggested that one of President Biden's dogs should also be killed.
Noem has repeatedly defended her decision to kill her dog, Cricket, and her politically puzzling choice to publish the anecdote in her memoir.
In the book, she describes an incident in which a cricket killed a neighbor's chicken and tried to bite Noem as she tried to restrain her dog. After taking Cricket home and shooting him, Noem wrote: As I was walking back to the garden, I found a male goat. ”
Noem wrote that the goat was “mean and mean,” had a terrible smell and often chased the children around. So she drags him out to the gravel pit, but she can't kill him with one shot and has to get back in the truck to get more ammunition to finish her job.
In an interview with Sean Hannity last week, Noem said she included the story in the book to illustrate “the tough and challenging decisions I've had to make throughout my life.”
In an interview Sunday on CBS's “Face the Nation,” Noem called attention to another part of the book that calls for killing one of President Biden's dogs, Commander, a German shepherd who is prone to biting. he suggested. .
In a section of her memoir discussing what Noem will do on her first day in office, she writes: Go play cricket for me. ) Noem made a similar suggestion in an interview Sunday.
“Are you saying he should be shot?” CBS host Margaret Brennan asked.
“That's something the president should take responsibility for,” Noem responded. .
The printed version of the book contains a false anecdote that Nomu met with Kim Jong-un.
Noem wrote in her memoir that she met North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un while serving on the House Armed Services Committee.
“I have had the opportunity to visit many countries and meet with world leaders. Some have asked for our help, others have not,” she wrote. “I remember meeting Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator. I'm sure he underestimated me. He had no clue about my experience staring down petty tyrants. (I was a children's pastor). Dealing with foreign leaders requires determination, preparation, and determination.”
Noem's communications director, Ian Furey, said that was a mistake. In a subsequent interview, Noem said she was “responsible for the changes,” but did not explain why the anecdote was included or who other than Kim could have been mentioned. She also pushed back when false anecdotes were characterized as false.
“This is an anecdote that I asked to be removed because I think it's appropriate at this time,” Noem said in an interview on “Face the Nation.” “But I'm not going to talk about the personal meetings I've had with world leaders.”
Noem offers a glowing portrait of Trump and hints at her future aspirations.
In her memoir, Noem praised the former president as a “destroyer and builder” and said, “Despite being relentlessly attacked for personal and fictitious failures, she remained in the race and never wavered.” There wasn't,” he wrote.
She also defended Trump in a speech the day after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, “despite the fact that what happened on Jan. 6 was undeniably ugly.” I reminded readers of this.
At one point, she also said Trump resembled her young granddaughter “in a funny way.”
“I see similarities between Mr. Trump and his granddaughter Miss Addy (as I call her),” Noem wrote. “She's almost 3 years old, and in my unbiased opinion, she's one of the most talented humans I've ever met (of course she's tied for first place with my grandson!) ”
But while Noem may be eyeing a spot as Trump's running mate, she insists in her memoir that if she's chosen, it won't be because she's a woman. .
“I am often asked by the national media if I think Donald Trump should choose a woman to be his vice president,” Noem wrote. “My answer is always to choose the best person for the job.”
The final chapter of the book focuses not on her aspirations as vice president, but rather on what she would do on “day one” if she herself were elected president. It begins with a quote from Trump saying that if he is elected president in December, she will not be a dictator “except on day one.”
In addition to putting federal property up for sale and convening a bipartisan task force on immigration, Noem hosted the Obamas for a screening of Liam Neeson's film The Grey, about the war against wolves. He wrote that he intended to invite him to the White House. She describes it as one of her favorites in the first half of her book.