Noem won't say if dog shooting story cost her Trump's VP spot

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said former President Donald Trump's campaign is not officially selecting her to be its vice presidential pick, but she would not say whether the outcry over a story that his dog had been shot was to blame.

Noem, during a Sunday appearance on NBC's “Meet the Press,” told guest moderator Peter Alexander that she had not received campaign materials from Trump as the former president considered his options for running mate of 2024. The Trump campaign has requested detailed information from at least four of the major candidates: North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Ohio Senator JD Vance and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.

“I've had conversations with the president and I know he's the one who decides who his vice president is going to be,” Noem said Sunday.

Both Noem and Trump spoke Saturday at a Faith & Freedom Coalition conference in Washington. When she took the stage, some in the crowd chanted “VP.”

More: Trump strengthens restrictions on abortion and Louisiana's Ten Commandments law as he courts Christian voters

However, Noem received widespread criticism earlier this year when she opened up about how she put down an “untrainable” dog in her 2024 book “No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward.” When the story broke, Trump said Noem “had a bad week.”

Noem defended her decision to include the anecdote in her book, but did not answer Alexander's question about whether it affected her chances of being chosen by Trump.

“I would encourage people to read the book and really get to the truth of why this story is in there and read the other parts of the story about how we're not going back to politics like we used to .” said Noème. “Donald Trump has changed politics because we are having much more honest and authentic conversations about the challenges people are facing.”

Noem also didn't give a direct answer when Alexander asked whether Trump would make a mistake if he didn't choose a woman to join him on the Republican ticket. Last year, the former president said he liked the “concept” of choosing a woman as his vice presidential candidate.

“He has to choose the best person for the job. He has to choose someone who will help him win,” Noem said.

Alexander also asked Noem if she was considering running for president herself in 2028 and she responded that she was “not even thinking about it right now.”

Rachel Barber is a 2024 Election Fellow at USA TODAY, focusing on politics and education. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, as @rachelbarber_

Lina Portman

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