'She isn't welcome': Outrage as South Dakota Gov Kristi Noem attends Florida GOP event amid backlash over dog-killing controversy

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA: South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem's Brevard County Republican Party event drew Democrat Democratic protesters who weren't happy with her visit to Cape Canaveral, as reported by USA Today.

She was invited to give a keynote speech at the local party's annual Lincoln Reagan Dinner despite facing intense backlash after admitting to shooting and killing her dog years ago in her latest book – 'No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward'. 

Kristi Noem’s dog-killing controversy and derogatory remarks about Native American tribes

In her contentious book, which came out on May 7, Noem wrote, "I had to put her down. I hated that dog," claiming that her dog, Cricket, was "untrainable," "dangerous to anyone she came in contact with," and "less than worthless … as a hunting dog." 

She added, "It was not a pleasant job but it had to be done."

Apart from the dog-killing fiasco, Noem has recently been banned by all nine Native American tribes in South Dakota from their reservations over disparaging statements.

The lawmaker once reportedly asserted, "We’ve got some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefiting from the cartels being here, and that’s why they attack me every day," among other things. 

Chairman of the Brevard Republican Executive Committee Rick Lacey defends the decision to invite Kristi Noem

Despite all of this, Chairman of the Brevard Republican Executive Committee, Rick Lacey, said he did not think the 52-year-old politician was a bad choice for the event. He claimed that hundreds of tickets had been sold for the fundraising event. 

On Saturday, May 25, while standing outside the venue, Lacey stated, "They're worried about a person who put down a vicious dog 22 years ago, but were they protesting Barack Obama when he wrote in his book that he cooked and ate a dog in Indonesia?"

He was likely referring to Obama's 1995 memoir, in which the former president recalled how, while in Indonesia as a child, his stepfather had supposedly exposed him to dog meat.

Brevard Democrats chairwoman Pamela Castellana, who was present across the Cape Canaveral Radisson to protest Noem’s appearance, said that many passersby have voiced their support for the demonstrators.

She said, "Our sheriff, one of the highest elected officials in our county, makes a point against animal cruelty every day. A lot of rational Republican voters are not necessarily connected with the Brevard Republicans who toe that line."

Gov Kristi Noem faces backlash for attending Florida event amid dog-killing controversy

A netizen commented, "She actually thought that revealing her puppy killer instinct made her seem stronger? Who exactly does she think she is appealing to?"

Another wrote, "What is Noem doing in Florida? Shouldn't she be in her home state trying to repair the damage she has done to her reputation? We don't want her here."

A person expressed, "Noem needs to stay at home and start to build bridges with Native Americans in her own state and work on the serious issues the voters of her state have in the state.  Instead, it seems multiple times a week she is spending time away from SD. I guess maybe she can't get enough alone time with Corey D in her home state so she has to find ways and places to rendezvous with him elsewhere."

They added, "I am also sure she is using the state paid-for-jet and her paid-for-security to also use the opportunity to go to a local venue or TV or radio station to promote her newest book, the profits of which all go to her courtesy of travel and promotion paid for by the state and by Republicans in other states. She has to strike while the iron is hot. And she's one of the hottest news items around -- albeit for not such good reasons."

"Looks like it’s Noem who is untrainable," remarked an individual, echoing her claims about the puppy she killed. "Let Noem know she isn't welcome!" exclaimed one more. 

"Anyone else notice how these gop and maga people always use the two wrongs make a right defense. Instead of acknowledging that no wrongs are right. They just refuse to own it. All of the normal people learned from our parents when we were 3 years old that two wrongs don’t make a right. A wrong is a wrong," shared another person. 

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