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Monthly Archives: May 2024
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Kristi Noem’s VP chances appear as dead as the dog she killed. There are other reasons too.
Noem had long ago been all but cast aside as a likely running mate, according to six people close to Donald Trump.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem gestures to the crowd prior to remarks from Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio. | Jeff Dean/AP
By NATALIE ALLISON, ADAM WREN and ALEX ISENSTADT
05/02/2024 06:26 PM EDT
Kristi Noem’s damage-control tour is in full swing. It appears destined for the same fate as her late dog Cricket: dead in a gravel pit somewhere near Pierre.
But at Mar-a-Lago, even before the revelation about her dog, Noem had long ago been cast aside as a likely running mate, according to six people close to former President Donald Trump who, while not discounting Noem entirely, have for many weeks said she has almost no chance of being on the ticket. The Cricket saga was just the latest in one of the most spectacularly botched vice presidential contender rollouts in modern political history.
On Wednesday, days ahead of the release of her political memoir originally designed to boost her veepstakes campaign, Noem took to Sean Hannity to try to reset the disastrous political narrative surrounding her: that penning the anecdote about shooting her dog as an example of her ability to make difficult decisions had destroyed her vice presidential ambitions.
Noem will return to Trump’s turf in Palm Beach, Florida this weekend, addressing top-dollar donors with other prospective running mates at a luxury hotel. Two advisers to Noem, granted anonymity to speak freely, said they expect a Sunday show appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation” and additional excerpts from the book to also make news.
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But it almost certainly won’t be enough to turn the tide of public opinion or, more importantly for Noem, the view of her inside Mar-a-Lago.
“She is of no use,” said Scott Jennings, a former President George W. Bush political adviser, comparing Noem to other running mate contenders, including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) who would “have utility” on the Trump ticket.
“What does she bring?” Jennings said of Noem. “The possibility of weirdo drama. That’s it. She appeals to no constituency Trump doesn’t already have.”
For several years, Noem had appeared ascendant in Republican politics. She became one of the most vocal governors against Covid regulations, was a regular on the conservative television and conference circuit, hosted Trump for a 2020 Independence Day celebration and then gave him a miniature bust of Mount Rushmore with his face included.
But then came reports in conservative media of allegations that Noem was having an extramarital affair with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. Noem denied it, saying at the time that “these rumors are total garbage and a disgusting lie.” Yet despite Noem being invited to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago as recently as February, and campaigning for him in Iowa earlier this year, inside Trump’s orbit, the rumors stuck.
Not only have Trump aides been concerned about the reports, Trump himself expressed qualms about them, too. While entertaining visitors at Mar-a-Lago earlier this year, Trump made a joke about Noem’s “baggage,” according to a person with knowledge of the remarks and granted anonymity to speak freely.
In recent weeks — and in rapid succession — everything else came to knock down the negligible chances Noem had of getting tapped as running mate.
She was widely mocked after filming a bizarre infomercial-style video advertising for a Texas cosmetic dentistry that she said had given her a new “smile,” a promotion that raised ethics questions and led to a lawsuit against her.
Noem released new television advertisements featuring herself, spending millions of state dollars to dress up as a construction worker and state trooper — after filming previous spots pretending to be a plumber, dentist, electrician and welder — in an apparent bid to draw new residents to South Dakota.
Last weekend, Noem appeared on CNN, coming under fire after refusing to say whether abortion exceptions for rape and incest should be permitted, instead replying that she doesn’t “believe a tragedy should perpetuate another tragedy.” In South Dakota, all abortions are outlawed except to save a woman’s life.
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“Are suburban women going to come and flock to Donald Trump? Probably not,” said David Urban, a former senior Trump campaign adviser. “Does Kristi Noem help that fact? Western governor, kind of a tough cowgirl, tough image. Not sure she’s the one that brings suburban women to the ballot box.”
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After the anecdote about 14-month-old Cricket came out, Noem’s advisers confessed they were taken aback that it garnered such intense backlash.
“I didn’t think that was going to be the headline,” a person close to Noem who had read the book told POLITICO. The person was granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on her behalf.
But news of Noem’s execution and disposal of her dog has continued to play out for more than a week, with Noem making multiple comments defending her decision, including saying on Wednesday that the dog was “not a puppy,” but a threat to her family.
“I think Gov. Noem’s efforts have been sophomoric,” said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Trump ally. “Running ads may have seemed clever, but to someone as sophisticated as Trump, her strategies have been a bit too obvious.”
“Killing the dog and then writing about it,” Gingrich added, “ended any possibility of her being picked as VP.”
Noem is set to appear at the Trump and Republican National Committee donor retreat taking place this weekend in Palm Beach, where Trump will also give remarks, joined by more than a dozen other “special guests.”
Noem is scheduled to speak on Saturday morning in a “breakfast conversation” with Burgum that will be moderated by RNC Chair Michael Whatley, according to a copy of the agenda.
A number of other Republicans seen as Trump running mate contenders, including Rubio, Vance and Scott, are also expected to appear. The event is expected to draw around 400 major donors, according to a person familiar with the planning.
But damage already done may prove irreversible.
Conservative commentator Erick Erickson, who on his show this week railed about Noem being a “psychopath,” told POLITICO that sharing the dog anecdote showed “poor judgment on her part.”
“If she did that to impress Trump, she forgot he’s hurting himself in the suburbs where they tend not to murder dogs,” Erickson said.
But even before the Cricket fiasco, Noem “had too much baggage,” Erickson said — though he speculated that, if picked for the ticket, it would have been “shrugged off” by conservatives.
Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican from the nearby state of North Dakota, described the likelihood of Noem getting on the ticket like this: “It’s hard to imagine a universe where bragging about shooting your 14-month-old puppy increases your brand value.”
The MAGA movement, said Steve Bannon, a former top Trump adviser, “is looking for a perfect compliment to President Trump,” which includes “someone who can help him win and help him govern.”
“But shooting an innocent puppy,” he said, “may be a tad too ‘based’ for many.”
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f You See A Purple Fence Post, Turn Around And Stay Away
World ‘on brink of hybrid World War 3’ which could lead to ‘radioactive Europe’
Story by Ewan Gleadow & Rudi Kinsella
• 1h • 2 min read
World ‘on brink of hybrid World War 3’ which will lead to ‘radioactive Europe’© (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
The world could be teetering on the edge of a “hybrid World War 3” if Russia’s terrifying invasion of Ukraine proves successful, experts have warned.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has advanced troops further into Donetsk, and if his war campaign is victorious, it could result in a radioactive Europe and full-scale conflict with NATO nations.
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Experts are warning that parts of Europe could face an “ecological catastrophe” if Putin’s forces defeat the Ukrainian defenders, potentially sparking similar wars worldwide.Chilling map shows which 75% of US population would be ‘killed’ in nuclear warVladimir Putin says ‘just three things’ stop Ukraine war ending as he’s ‘ready for peace’
Globsec, an international think tank, has cautioned that a sudden decrease in Western support and aid to Ukraine could tip the scales in favour of a Russian victory.
This would leave a real nuclear threat in Russia’s hands following their withdrawal from nuclear deterrence treaties.
The potential for nuclear threats could increase as the ripple effects of Ukraine’s defeat spread across Europe. Polish President Andrzej Duda has already declared he will launch nuclear missiles if necessary, leading to possible radioactive “contamination”.
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The report stated: “Continuing risks of nuclear contamination in Europe, caused by artificially provoked technogenic catastrophes (like on Zaporizhzhya NPP) with consequent after-effects of humanitarian and ecological catastrophe on the entire continent.”
As Russia’s influence widens into wider Europe, experts are fearing a possible full-scale conflict with NATO, one that could potentially involve “nuclear components”. The stage of conflict might also extend worldwide, with Russia and North Korea strengthening ties.
The group raised the alarm stating, “Russia might feel ready at some point to attack other states like Georgia, Kazakhstan and Moldova,” and feared escalation of a “conventional war of NATO countries with Russia”.
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Predictions for a peace agreement being orchestrated by Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the coming year seem unlikely according to Globesco group. They cite upcoming elections in various nations as barriers to Zelenskyy’s establishment of his Peace Formulae.
Experts noted: “Peace talks with Russia will have no real perspective and will not be supported by almost the entire population of Ukraine.”
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Kristi Noem Hit With Brutal Community Note
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Kristi Noem Hit With Brutal Community Note
Story by James Bickerton
• 3h • 3 min read
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem speaking during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16, 2024. An X post from Noem defending shooting her dog Cricket dead received a community note from other users of the platform.© KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP/GETTY
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been hit by a community note on X, formerly Twitter, after her reasons for killing her dog, Cricket, allegedly “morphed” from “livestock threat” to “danger to her children”.
Noem, who has been tipped as a potential 2024 running mate for Donald Trump, describes shooting the farm dog dead in her forthcoming book No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward.
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Community notes are written by X users and attached to a tweet if there is enough support for them from others on the platform. In this case, the note picks up on the lack of any mention that the dog had put her children at risk in a short excerpt from her book published by The Guardian.
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After publication of the extract, in which Noem also describes killing a goat for being smelly and chasing her children, she defends her actions in a tweet, saying: “We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm.”
But the episode has sparked a backlash, including from some Republicans, and resulted in a sharp fall in the bookies’ odds on Noem being chosen as Trump’s prospective vice president.
On Thursday Noem again defended her actions on X commenting: “Don’t believe the #fakenews media’s twisted spin. I had a choice between the safety of my children and an animal who had a history of attacking people & killing livestock. I chose my kids.”
The governor also shared a segment from a Fox News interview with host Sean Hannity in which she claims Cricket was an “extremely dangerous” working dog.
She said: “It had come to us from a family who had found her way too aggressive, we were her second chance and the day she was put down was the day she massacred livestock that were part of our neighbors. She attacked me and it was a hard decision.
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“The reason its in this book is this book is filled with tough challenging decisions I’ve had to make throughout my life … this was a dangerous animal and I had a choice between keeping my small children and other people safe or a dangerous animal and I chose the safety of my children.”
However other X users were unconvinced by this and attached the community note which stated: “Noem’s description of why she shot Cricket has morphed. Her book describes the dog as untrainable for pheasant hunting + killed chickens.
“When criticized Noem altered her story from Cricket snapped at her to did bit her, to biting history, to ‘danger to children.'”
The note also included links to articles from The Guardian, CNN, Forbes and FOX 5 KSWB-TV referencing these claims. Community notes “require agreement between contributors who have sometimes disagreed in their past ratings.”
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According to the extract published by The Guardian Cricket was a “wirehair pointer, about 14 months old” which Noem wanted to train for pheasant hunting.
However, the dog allegedly ruined a hunt by going “out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life.” Then, on the way home, Noem says the dog attacked another family’s chickens “grabb[ing] one chicken at a time, crunching it to death with one bite, then dropping it to attack another.”
When she grabbed Cricket, Noem claimed the dog “whipped around to bite me.” In response Noem branded the dog “untrainable” and “less than worthless … as a hunting dog,” adding “I hated that dog.”
Concluding it was “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with” Noem shot Cricket in a gravel pit along with a “nasty and mean” goat which had taken to chasing her children.
Newsweek contacted Governor Noem via the contact form on her official website at 5 a.m. ET on Friday. This article will be updated if she decided to comment.
Noem defended her actions in a statement published on April 28 in which she insisted she “followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor.”
The Republican added: “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. As I explained in the book, it wasn’t easy. But often the easy way isn’t the right way.”
The book, published by Center Street, is due out on May 7.
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