Governor Kristi Noem’s latest book, “No Going Back”, hasn’t even been released yet but preview copies have and generated a firestorm of criticism of the Governor’s actions taken two decades ago.
In the book, Noem relates a story about a rambunctious 14-month-old dog named Cricket who misbehaved. Noem recounts the story of her killing Cricket in the book. Animal rights activists and animal lovers in general have condemned the Governor’s actions and lack of remorse.
Critics have pointed out that when Noem was the US Representative for South Dakota in Congress she voted against a 2018 bill that would have cracked down on both dog fighting and cock fighting in the United States and all US territories. Representative Noem, as she was at that time, was one of only 23 of 535 members of Congress to vote against the bill. The federal courts have unanimously upheld the 2018 animal-fighting legislation as a constitutional exercise of federal authority.
Governor Noem was once considered on the short list, perhaps even the front runner, to be Donald Trump’s vice-presidential running mate. Political observers say that Cricket may have killed her chances to be on the national ticket for the fall presidential election.
Governor Noem’s book, “No Going Back”, will be released for public sale on May 7, 2024.