Donald Trump ‘Disgusted’ By Kristi Noem’s Decision To Include Puppy-Killing Story In Memoir

Donald Trump is reportedly "disgusted" by Governor Kristi Noem's decision to share the story of her executing her 14-month-old dog, Cricket, in her upcoming memoir. Since the excerpt from the book revealed the story, Noem has faced immense criticism from Trump and his circle in private.

The "puppy-killing" story has cost the governor her shot at being Trump's VP pick. However, Noem has defended her actions, saying Cricket was actually a "working dog" and that South Dakota's animal law supports her actions.

Sources close to former US President Donald Trump have revealed his stance on South Dakota's MAGA Governor Kristi Noem's controversy after she revealed that she executed her puppy, Cricket.

Several sources told Rolling Stone that Trump discussed the topic several times and expressed his disappointment at Noem's decision to share the story.

According to the publication, some sources revealed they are disclosing the content of their private discussions because they want Noem off Trump's 2024 vice presidential shortlist and dislike Corey Lewandowski, Trump's former 2016 campaign chief, and Noem's long-time adviser.

Other sources noted that Trump has spoken about the puppy execution story frequently since it was released in the excerpt. They said that it's "getting kind of ridiculous" how "disgusted" the former US president is with Noem for including the puppy-killing incident in her memoir.

The Guardian shared an excerpt from Noem's forthcoming book, "No Going Back," in which she detailed the execution of her 14-month-old puppy, Cricket.

Noem wrote that she took the dog, which she "hated," to a gravel pit and executed her after it showed violent behavior.

The incident that triggered the politician's decision to execute Cricket was when the puppy leaped out of her truck during a visit to some neighbors. The dog allegedly attacked and killed several of the chickens living on the property and even bit her when she tried to intervene.

Noem wrote that the attack featured Cricket "grabb[ing] one chicken at a time, crunching it to death with one bite, then dropping it to attack another."

When the governor tried to stop the dog, Cricket "whipped around to bite [her]" and continued the chicken killing spree.

According to the sources, Noem's scandal has been discussed in several of Trump's phone and closed-door meetings.

They shared that the former President pointedly asked why Noem would decide to kill the dog and questioned, "What is wrong with her?"

Trump reportedly expressed shock that Noem would even admit to the execution in her writing, saying it shows her lack of understanding of "public relations."

He had also allegedly mentioned that being a dog-killer would not sit well with voters, so this has automatically crossed Noem off the potential VP list.

Sources close to Trump previously revealed to the New York Post that the ex-president's team was shocked to hear of Noem's detailed story about how she killed her dog in the book.

An insider said, "She was already unlikely to be picked as VP but had a shot. After this, it's just impossible." Noem was rumored to be an option for Trump's Vice President position.

Another source told the publication that the former US president "likes Kristi a lot" but was very "disappointed" to hear the story about her dog.

The source said, "It certainly has not enhanced her chances, but no decision has been made concerning any of the VP candidates."

They further noted: "Trump isn't a dog person necessarily, but I think he understands that you can't choose a puppy killer as your pick for blatantly obvious reasons."

Amid the heavy backlash, Noem has defended her actions twice. During a recent appearance on Fox News, the politician told informal Trump adviser Sean Hannity that Cricket wasn't actually a puppy but an older "working dog."

Noem also took to X (formerly Twitter) to defend her actions against social media critics.

She wrote, "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."

Noem further revealed that her actions have legal backing, as there's a South Dakota law on the treatment of violent animals.

She tweeted, "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."