Trump Reportedly Viewed Noem’s Shooting of Family Dog as an ‘Asset’ in a DHS Secretary

Evan Vucci/AP photo

President Donald Trump reportedly viewed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s story about shooting a family dog as an “asset” for a DHS chief.

When The Guardian obtained a copy of Noem’s then-unreleased book were released in the run-up to the 2024 election, one story was quick to grab the public’s attention. Noem, who was serving as the governor of South Dakota at the time, claimed to have shot and killed her 14-month-old dog named Cricket, who she described as “less than worthless.”

“I hated that dog,” Noem wrote, claiming to have shot the dog as well as a “nasty and mean” family goat.

Shock and outrage sounded from almost every corner of the political spectrum, and Noem was grilled on the story repeatedly. Some predicted it would be the end of her career in politics.

Even Trump was reportedly “disgusted” by the story, allegedly claiming her voluntary disclosure of the story demonstrated a poor grasp of “public relations,” and asking, “What is wrong with her?”

But according to excerpts from NBC’s Julia Ainsley’s upcoming book, obtained by The Atlantic, the story was a boon for Noem’s future career as DHS secretary.

In Undue Process: The Inside Story of Trump’s Mass Deportation Program, Ainsley claims that Noem’s dog-killing knocked her out of the running for vice president. However, Trump “saw this particular biographical detail as an asset in his homeland-security secretary.”

“It was one of the reasons he chose her,” The Atlantic’s report claims.

Noem, who’s high profile tenure at the department has seen multiple alleged missteps, defended the story in 2024.

“What I learned from my years of public service, especially leading South Dakota through COVID, is people are looking for leaders who are authentic, willing to learn from the past, and don’t shy away from tough challenges,” she wrote at the time. “My hope is anyone reading this book will have an understanding that I always work to make the best decisions I can for the people in my life.”

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