Kristi Noem is fed up with facing questions about shooting and killing her family’s farm dog.
The South Dakota Governor blew up at Fox News host Stuart Varney for repeatedly pressing her about whether she spoke with Donald Trump about the viral story.
Noem recounted in her new book No Going Back a two-decade-old story about making the ‘tough decision’ to ‘put down’ 14-month-old puppy Cricket while her kids were at school.
The story has attracted widespread criticism and has been at the center of coverage regarding the competition to be selected as Trump’s vice presidential candidate in the 2024 election.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem got fed up with Fox News host Stuart Varney pressing her on whether she discussed with former President Donald Trump the viral story about her shooting and killing her dog 20 years ago
When Varney asked Noem in an interview on Tuesday whether she is still in consideration to join Trump’s ticket, the South Dakota Republican replied: ‘It’s up to Donald Trump. He’s the only person who will decide this.’
‘I do speak with him. I never tell anyone about my personal conversations with President Trump,’ she said when the Fox host tried to cut in with a question on whether she spoke with the former president about the dog controversy.
Varney pressed: ‘Did the dog story come up?’
‘I talk to President Trump all the time,’ she said.
‘About the dog?’ he repeated.
‘About a lot of things,’ Noem deflected and tried to turn the topic to the criminal trial against the former president, saying’ ‘And right now, I’ll tell you, he is being persecuted in a political witch hunt in this court case. So, I’m proud of him for how tough he is and how well he is doing.’
But Varney wasn’t giving up on trying to have Noem answer him about killing her puppy.
‘Did you bring up the dog with Trump?’ he questioned.
‘Enough Stuart,’ Noem finally snapped. ‘This interview is ridiculous, what you are doing right now. So you need to stop!’
‘Let’s talk about some real topics that Americans care about.
But the Fox Business host replied: ‘I’m afraid we’re out of time.’
‘Oh, well of course we are,’ she sighed.
Noem detailed in her new book a 20-year-old story about shooting and killing her ‘dangerous’ 14-month-old farm puppy Cricket (not pictured) while her kids were at school
Noem told Stuart Varney (left) that he was being ‘ridiculous’ and needed to ‘stop’ pressing her on the issue after media outlets obsessed over the story in her new book, which hit shelves on Tuesday, May 7
‘We do thank you for being with us,’ Varney said. ‘I know I pressed hard, but that’s what people are talking about.’
During his show, the Fox News host painted a grim picture of Noem’s political future, noting how there are widespread messages indicating that voters would not be happy if Trump picked her as his running mate in November.
Trump surrogates and allies suggest that the former president plans to announce within the next 60 days who he plans to have join him on the 2024 Republican ticket.