South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (Republican), who has recently faced criticism for shooting her 14-month-old dog, Cricket, implied in an interview on Sunday that President Biden’s dog, Commander, should have faced a similar outcome.
Commander reportedly bit Secret Service members at least twenty-four times from October 2022 to June 2023, as per documents disclosed in February.
During an appearance on CBS News’s “Face the Nation,” Noem expressed that if she were in the White House, she would handle Commander differently from Biden. Commander was eventually removed from the White House grounds.
In her memoir, she indicated that she would ensure Commander is not present on the grounds, writing, “Commander, say hello to Cricket.”
“Well, first and foremost, Joe Biden’s dog has attacked 24 Secret Service individuals,” Noem stated on Sunday when asked about the excerpt. “So, how many people need to be attacked and seriously injured before a decision is made about a dog and what to do with it?”
“That’s a question that the president should be held accountable for,” she added, before moderator Margaret Brennan intervened, asking whether she was suggesting that Commander should be shot.
Noem did not pause to acknowledge the question, but instead continued, stating, “That is what the president should be held accountable for, the number of incidents.”
Noem, who is viewed as a potential vice presidential candidate for former President Trump’s 2024 campaign, has faced significant backlash regarding an account in her upcoming memoir detailing an incident in which she mentioned euthanizing her family’s dog around 20 years ago.
She has defended She referred to the action as “unpleasant” but noted it “had to be done.” She described the dog as “extremely dangerous.”
