In a startling revelation from her upcoming memoir, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem disclosed that she had fatally shot her wirehaired pointer puppy and a family goat.
The confession has significantly affected her odds for becoming former President Donald Trump’s running mate, as reflected in the latest figures from the online betting market Polymarket.
Previously holding a 10% probability of securing the vice-presidential nomination alongside Mr. Trump, Mrs. Noem has seen her odds take a sharp downturn to just 4%, as reported by Newsweek. The disclosure has provoked widespread controversy and discussion among critics and supporters, prompting a response from Mrs. Noem‘s team.
As the scandal exploded, Mrs. Noem took to social media to offer an explanation.
“I can understand why some people are upset about a 20 year old story of Cricket, one of the working dogs at our ranch, in my upcoming book — No Going Back. The book is filled with many honest stories of my life, good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions, and lessons learned,” the Republican wrote in a social media post that was published Sunday on X.
“The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down. Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did,” Mrs. Noem said.
The governor said the 14-month-old Cricket ruined a pheasant hunt when she went “out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life.”
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