In a conversation with two Fox pundits on Monday, Fox Business anchor Ashley Webster discussed South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s inclusion of a story about shooting a puppy in her book. Both pundits concurred that the media backlash surrounding the incident could have dire political consequences for the Republican politician.
There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the recent controversy and backlash faced by the individual in question. The backlash stems from a forthcoming memoir in which she recounts the incident of killing her dog on her family farm. In response to the criticism, she stated, “I can understand why some people are upset about a 20-year-old story of Cricket,” referring to the dog’s name. She further explained that South Dakota law allows for dogs who attack and kill livestock to be euthanized. Considering that Cricket had displayed aggressive behavior towards people by biting them, she made the decision she did. However, Webster expressed his disbelief at the decision, sarcastically remarking, “What a terrible idea. Whoever came up with, ‘yeah, put that story in, Kristi. People will love it.'”
Fox media analyst Joe Concha expressed his strong reaction to the story, stating, “As a lifelong dog owner, this absolutely infuriates me.”
“How heartless does someone have to be to shoot a 14-month-old dog in the face? It’s truly appalling. If the dog wasn’t performing its duties on the farm or was attacking chickens or people, there were better ways to handle the situation. As a public figure or someone with a platform, there were alternatives. Even as a private citizen, a simple post stating that the dog needed a new home because it wasn’t fitting in on the ranch would have garnered many offers from people willing to adopt the dog,” Concha expressed with frustration.
You don’t just go ahead and murder it. And can someone explain to your point, by the way, what editor thought it was a good idea to share this in a book? Because I’ll say this she just destroyed any chance she had of being Donald Trump’s vice president, if she had any chance at all. There’s no going back from this. I mean, just ask Mitt Romney. You know, the multimillionaire thought it was a really good idea to put his dog on a roof of a car for 12 hours. That story sticks with him to this day for good reason. She can try to talk her way out of this all she wants. I’m sorry, you don’t shoot dogs in the face. I don’t care what they’ve done.
Webster enthusiastically agreed with Joe Concha’s statement, saying, “Amen, Joe Concha, I’ve always been a lifelong dog lover. You are absolutely right.” He expressed gratitude to Joe for his passionate input and invited him to return to the conversation. Jason Chaffetz, addressing Jason, who is a recovering politician, questioned Governor Noem’s decision to release such information, noting the questionable judgment it displayed.
Former GOP Congressman Chaffetz, who served alongside her, responded, “Because she actually did it. So, I give her an A-plus for being honest about it, but she has effectively destroyed her political career. I don’t believe there is anyone, regardless of political affiliation, who finds it acceptable to go to a gravel pit, shoot a 14-month-old dog in the face, and kill it. It’s simply abhorrent. As her friend, I can say that politically, there is no coming back from this.”
Webster expressed his dismay at the story, stating, “What a horrible story.” He then thanked Jason for his contribution, bringing the segment to a close.
