‘She gets worse with every interview’: Kristi Noem slammed as she loses cool after Fox News host presses her on dog-killing incident

Kristi Noem defended her actions, citing safety concerns, but her frustration grew as Stuart Varney persisted
PUBLISHED MAY 8, 2024
Kristi Noem lashed out at Fox News host Stuart Varney after he kept raking up the dog killing  controversy (Fox Business News)
Kristi Noem lashed out at Fox News host Stuart Varney after he kept raking up the dog killing controversy (Fox Business News)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The highly anticipated release of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem's book 'No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward' was marred by persistent questioning regarding contentious claims within its pages, particularly surrounding the shooting of her puppy, Cricket.

Noem, during an interview with Fox Business News, faced scrutiny from anchor Stuart Varney, who highlighted viewer backlash and skepticism over the incident, as well as concerns about her viability as a potential running mate for Donald Trump.

Kristi Noem grilled over puppy-killing incident

"I’ve not heard anybody support you on shooting the dog," Varney said, highlighting the furore generated by the puppy-killing incident and how this negative sentiment could possibily ruin her chance of becoming Donald Trump's running mate.

"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-president spot'."

“Well, I’ll tell you, Stuart, I’m sorry you’re not hearing from real Americans that live on farms and ranches,” she responded.

Governor Noem staunchly defended her actions, citing safety concerns for her family and adherence to state law regarding aggressive animals.

"I made a decision as a mom, and I’m a grandma, that the safety of my children and safety of people was what I needed to decide on, protecting them from a very dangerous animal," she explained.

But the Fox News host kept pressing her on the incident. He asked her if she had talked to Donald Trump and whether the dog story had come up during their conversations. While Noem said she would never reveal her “personal conversations”, Varney kept grilling her about what Trump thinks of the situation.

Noem's frustration over the continuous interrogation on the matter became evident when Varney persisted with his questions, prompting her to abruptly terminate the interview. She insisted on discussing more pressing issues.

"Enough, Stuart,” she said. “This interview is ridiculous what you are doing right now. You need to stop. It is. Let’s talk about some real topics that Americans care about.”



 

Noem faces tough questions on alleged encounter with Kim Jong Un

Similar tensions arose during a subsequent interview on Newsmax, where anchor Rob Finnerty directly challenged Noem's credibility, particularly regarding an anecdote involving a purported encounter with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"If you asked me a month ago who’s at the top of the list to run with Donald Trump, I would’ve said your name," Finnerty asserted. "If you asked me that same question this morning, I don’t even think you’re on the list."



 

In response to Finnerty's skepticism regarding her alleged meeting with Kim Jong Un, Noem maintained, "The average American citizen is more worried about the border."

Yet, her refusal to provide details about the encounter only added fuel to the skepticism surrounding her claims.

These confrontations mark a turbulent period for Noem, compounded by her reluctance to provide clarity on disputed claims. She has acknowledged errors in her book, attributing them to oversight.

“I’m not going to talk about my specific meetings with world leaders,” she told Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan. “I’m just not going to do that. This anecdote shouldn’t have been in the book and as soon it was brought to my attention, I made sure that that was adjusted.”

In a statement to The Independent, Ian Fury, chief of communications for Noem’s office, addressed the inaccuracies, acknowledging the inclusion of Kim Jong Un among world leaders as a mistake.

He said, “It was brought to our attention that the upcoming book 'No Going Back' has two small errors. This has been communicated to the ghostwriter and editor. Kim Jong Un was included in a list of world leaders and shouldn’t have been.”

Growing criticism over Noem's handling of interviews

As Governor Kristi Noem continues to face intense scrutiny over her handling of interviews and the controversies surrounding her memoir, public criticism is mounting. Social media reactions reflect a growing frustration among users, with many expressing disbelief and dissatisfaction with her responses.

One user wrote, "She’s the one who chooses to go on these platforms to promote her lies. It’s her fault."



 

Another added, "Then he says they will stop because he's out of time. She has no idea how many people on both sides are angry about the dog, but she's starting to find out."



 

One user said, "Why does she keep doing this ? It's now overkill. Literally."



 

Another commented, "There is a point at which you should just stop doing press. She reached that point two days ago."



 

One replied, "Omg she gets worse with every interview."



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

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