THE WHITE HOUSE has said it is “disturbed” by comments from Donald Trump’s potential 2024 running mate calling for Joe Biden’s dog to be put down.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem recently made headlines after an excerpt of her upcoming book revealed that she put down one of her dogs around 20 years ago.
‘No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward’ has today been published in the United States.
In the book, Noem recounts shooting an “untrainable” 14-month-old dog named Cricket after it ruined a pheasant hunt and killed a neighbour’s chickens.
She uses the story in an attempt to highlight how she doesn’t “shy away from tough challenges”.
Yesterday, she appeared to call for Biden’s dog Commander to meet a similar fate as her own dog Cricket for biting several Secret Service agents.
Biden’s dog Commander has bit US Secret Service agents on at least 24 occasions, documents obtained in February show.
On an appearance on CBS’ Face The Nation, Noem was asked about a segment in her upcoming book which suggests the first thing she would do as vice president is put down Biden’s dog.
Noem writes: “What would I do if I was president on the first day in office in 2025?
“The first thing I’d do is make sure Joe Biden’s dog was nowhere on the grounds. (‘Commander, say hello to Cricket for me.’)”
On "Face The Nation," South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who has been facing criticism ever since she revealed in her new book that she once shot and killed her own dog, suggested that President Biden's dog Commander should meet the same fate. https://t.co/MMhT1vEL7K pic.twitter.com/96lR9bGpuS
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 6, 2024
When asked about this segment from her book, Noem remarked that Biden’s dog has bit 24 Secret Service agents and added: “How many people is enough people to be attacked and dangerously hurt before you make a decision on a dog and what to do with it.”
She added: “That’s a question that the president should be held accountable to.”
Last October, Biden’s dog Commander was removed from the White House.
At the time, a spokesperson for First Lady Jill Biden said: “The President and First Lady care deeply about the safety of those who work at the White House and those who protect them every day.
“They remain grateful for the patience and support of the U.S. Secret Service and all involved, as they continue to work through solutions.”
In response to Noem’s comments, Biden’s Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre labelled the remarks “disturbing” and “absurd”.
“This is a country that loves dogs, and you have a leader talking about putting dogs down,” said Jean-Pierre.
Noem “should probably stop digging herself in a hole,” added Jean-Pierre.
This was not the only part of Noem’s new book to raise eyebrows.
She was forced to backpedal over a claim that she had met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with a spokesman saying it would be “corrected” in future editions.
Noem said she could “remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un” and said that she was “sure he underestimated me.”
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