South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) and Fox Business host Stuart Varney were speaking over one another during an interview Tuesday, during which the governor attempted to defend her decision to shoot her dog despite mounting criticism, which resulted in her telling him “enough.”
Varney highlighted a major question for the governor by asking if she squashed her political chances of becoming former President Trump’s running mate by including the anecdote in her new memoir.
“Well, I don’t think you have the facts straight,” Noem responded. “This was a vicious, dangerous dog, that was a working dog, and I had to make a choice between the safety of my children and an animal that was killing livestock and attacking people.”
Noem doubled down on the decision to include the story in her book as Varney continued to hammer her about the dog story, saying it was a “very hard decision” and she shared it because “a lot of politicians run from the truth.”
Noem dodged his question about still being Trump’s vice president despite the criticism she’s received. She said she needs him to return to the White House so she can continue to do her job.
“I know that a lot of people are using attacks to try to take me down because they’re scared of me,” Noem said. “Listen, I’ve run 12 campaigns, and all I’ve done is won.”
Varney told the governor that Fox Business is “consumed with emails” of voters who say they don’t want to vote for someone who killed their dog. He later asked if she thinks she’s still in the running to be Trump’s VP pick.
Noem said she speaks to Trump “all the time,” and Varney continued to ask if the former president asked about her dog.
“Enough, Stuart. This interview is ridiculous, what you are doing right now,” Noem said in response after trying to change the topic. “So, you need to stop. It is. It is. Let’s talk about some real topics that Americans care about.”
Varney also questioned Noem on the dog’s age. She’s been catching criticism for shooting the nearly 14-month-old Cricket, a wirehaired pointer, after he misbehaved on a hunting trip.
She told Varney that it was not a puppy, but rather an “adult working dog.” He interrupted her, saying “the dog was 14 months old,” to which she said Cricket was “a year and a half old.”
Varney also pressed her on whether it was good politics for her to include the story in her book, which has also been found to contain inaccuracies about conversations and meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.