Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) questioned what was the threshold for attacks by President Joe Biden‘s dog Commander on Secret Service agents before he should have to make a “decision” on the animal’s fate.
Noem has been dogged by backlash over a story in her book, to be released May 7, of how she shot a 14-month-old dog named Cricket, which she described as “dangerous.” While defending her actions, she was asked about a line in the book that said she would have made sure Biden’s dog was nowhere near White House grounds. The South Dakota governor was specifically asked on CBS News’s Face the Nation about a part in her book where she says, “Commander, say hello to Cricket for me.”
“Well, No. 1, Joe Biden’s dog has attacked 24 Secret Service people. So how many people is enough people to be attacked and dangerously hurt before you make a decision on a dog?” Noem said, before anchor Margaret Brennan interrupted to point out that Commander does not live at the White House anymore.
“And that’s the question that the President should be held accountable to,” Noem added.
Brennan then directly asked Noem if she was saying Commander should have been shot.
“That what’s the president should be accountable to. What is — what is the number,” Noem said.
Noem’s account in the book where she kills her dog has caused significant backlash, alongside two mistakes that were discovered ahead of the book’s release. A spokesperson for Noem acknowledged the “two small errors” — about Kim Jong Un being listed as a world leader she met and the timing of a chat with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley — in a statement to the Washington Examiner on Friday, saying they would be corrected.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
When asked by Brennan if she would retract the book or parts of it, Noem was firm in saying she would not be retracting anything.
The South Dakota governor has been considered one of the top contenders to be Trump’s running mate in November.
