Why Kristi Noem Never Sabatoged Herself

While the media rabidly attacked Kristi Noem for her newest memoir’s entry about the time she shot and killed her dog, they did it for the wrong reason. After The Guardian accessed a copy of the South Dakota senator’s unreleased memoir, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, seemingly every news site churned out a breaking story about how Noem’s chances at being President Donald Trump’s Vice President if elected are ruined by her evil deeds. However, why did Noem choose to kill her 14-month-old puppy Cricket, and why did people think she would be chosen as Trump’s VP candidate?

Donald Trump did say this prior year that “Kristi’s done a great job,” though the praise surely isn’t Vice President-worthy, is it? Many Trump supporters (as Noem is) view her chances at being Trump’s running mate as low, even disregarding the developing controversy around her memoir. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that not only killing Cricket but writing about her actions “ended any possibility of her being picked as VP.” While Noem publicly voiced her willingness to run with Trump for Vice President, she likely has no chance now, even though chances were already slim to begin with.

The memoir itself describes the shooting of her dog in great detail. Noem set out to make the event an example of her ability to make hard decisions and persevere, though the reception of the excerpt clearly didn’t get the same message. The dog, named Cricket, was a German wirehaired pointer who was meant for hunting and working, according to Noem. The dog, however, was aggressive to her and her family, as well as the other animals nearby. Cricket was returning from a pheasant-hunting trip with other dogs, as Noem hoped the dog would learn to behave properly.

Cricket was only fourteen months old, and Bob Uecker, an expert in dog hunts and breeding says that “I think any dog probably isn’t a good hunter or a great dog until they’re three or four years old because then they’ve started to settle down a little bit.” Cricket allegedly began to attack a local family’s chickens shortly after the attack, and when Noem tried to tame the dog, it tried to bite her. Noem recalls “I realized I had to put [Cricket] down,” and so she took the puppy to a gravel pit with her gun, which not only ended the life of her puppy, but also a goat that had been mean. However, the goat didn’t die after the first shot, so it waited for the second shell to be put down. Noem said that she didn’t like to kill the animals, but it “had to be done.”

Below, I’ve included word clouds of about a half dozen different news stories on this subject versus this one.

Donald Trump is the second-most talked about subject in Noem’s coverage, surpassing the dog itself. “President” and “running” are high up on the list as well. Next up is mine. This word cloud details my coverage, which emphasizes Cricket the dog and Noem’s memoir. I just want to highlight the importance of reading the story for what it is, instead of reading the hot political drama somehow intertwined with President Trump. As arguably the most talked-about political figure in the past months, it’s no surprise Noem’s memoir became a story about him instead. The fact that Noem had little candidacy for VP means that we should focus on the story for what it is.

While the story seemed to be muddy and convoluted, it was simply about an anecdote in Kristi Noem’s memoir no one stopped to think about the consequences of, causing media coverage that blew the story out of proportion. While killing Cricket was unnecessary to do or write about, it didn’t harm her VP campaign, but rather her public perception. The chances would’ve been slim whether or not the story was publicized. However, the public really hopped on a common theme for the story.

LUKE FANN

Editor-in-Chief at The City Voice | fann-l@students.grps.org

Editor-in-Chief Luke Fann is a junior at City and freelances for Rapid Growth Media's Voices of Youth program. He also attends Michigan State University's MIPA Summer Journalism Workshop, receiving the Sparty Award in Journalistic Storytelling and the Art of Storytelling. Additionally, he recieved an Award of Excellence in the Level Up: Leadership for Media program in 2025 and earned an honorable mention for his piece on AI and LLMs at the 2024 MIPA Spring Awards.

Luke began writing in 7th grade and became an editor by the following year. By his sophomore year, he was Managing Editor and then Editor-in-Chief. As for writing, he focuses on business and technology news, taking a deeper dive into topics rather than focusing solely on breaking news. He also covers personal interests, and his weekly editorials offer unique takes on timely issues.

If you're interested in writing for The City Voice, especially as a middle schooler or Underclassman, reach out to Luke or attend a meeting. Journalism is a great way to express your passions. No matter your background, The City Voice wants to hear your voice.