Who is Kristi Noem?

South Dakota Republican Kristi Noem has a few impressive accomplishments decorating her resume, but most people know her for one thing and one thing only.

That was revealed by Noem herself in her freshly-released book, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward. The mouthful of a book released on May 7, 2024, but in late April, clips from the book circulated and led to widespread criticism of the 52-year-old mother of three.

Who is Kristi Noem, the one-time top pick for Donald Trump’s VP?

Up until her book’s pre-release tanked her reputation, Noem had an excellent shot at being Vice President of the United States. She was reportedly among Donald Trump’s top four picks for his running mate, but all of that changed when early excerpts of No Going Back hit the web.

The excerpts revealed a story contained within the book in which Noem reminisces on a past incident. She details how, some years back, she made the decision to shoot her dog, Cricket, along with a goat, after deciding that they were too temperamental to keep around. The callous nature with which Noem recounted the story was widely criticized, and Noem’s excuses aren’t nearly enough to save her reputation.

Even Trump is taken aback by the story, and reportedly rethinking his decision in the wake of broad pushback. It’s not so much that Noem decided to kill the dog — something that does happen occasionally on farms and ranches — but the almost gleeful way she details the shooting that put people off. Even those familiar with country life found themselves disturbed by her story, and it’s thoroughly tanking the once-popular Republican’s reputation.

Outside of her work shooting animals, Noem is largely known for her contributions to South Dakota government. She’s been serving the state as a Representative since 2007 and eventually became governor in 2019. She’s been serving as the state’s first-ever female governor ever since and almost elevated her career even further by joining Trump on the ballot. It seems that chance has passed her by, however, following revelations contained within her book, and the South Dakota Republican seems to be getting less popular by the day.