Trump: Noem has had ‘a rough couple of days’

Former President Trump said Tuesday that South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) has had “a rough couple of days” after she has been grilled over anecdotes in her new book, including one about killing her dog several years ago.

Trump sat for an interview with Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin on Tuesday ahead of his court appearance in a hush money trial in New York City. The former president was asked about his looming choice of running mate, including Noem.

Trump said he likes Noem “a lot” and she is “somebody that has been supportive of me from the beginning,” but he declined to weigh in further.

“I don’t want to comment on anybody on the list,” Trump said. “But she had a rough couple of days, I will say that.” 

Noem has come under fire during the past week as she makes the rounds to promote her new book, “No Going Back.” In one anecdote, she detailed the story of how roughly 20 years ago, she shot and killed her 14-month-old German wirehaired pointer, Cricket, due to poor behavior.

In another anecdote that has come under scrutiny, Noem described her meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. But after multiple reports raised questions about its accuracy, a spokesperson for Noem’s office said Kim “was included in a list of world leaders and shouldn’t have been.” The publisher said it will remove the anecdote from reprints at Noem’s request.

Noem has been grilled over the passages of her book in interviews with CBS, NewsNation, Newsmax and Fox Business Network.

The South Dakota governor was once seen as one of the top contenders to serve as Trump’s running mate in November’s election, but her book tour and other controversies have sunk her chances, according to sources close to Trump.