Gov. Noem snapped during a contentious interview about her recent book, saying, "I don't think you have the facts straight." (Kristi Noem, Getty Images)
Fox anchor Stuart Varney interviews Governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem visits FOX Business Network's "Varney & Co" at Fox Business Network Studios on May 07, 2024 in New York City. (John Lamparski/Getty Images)
Since facing backlash for the killing of her ranch dog, Noem has fiercely defended her actions, framing it as her ability to make "tough decisions."
During an interview with FOX Business' Stuart Varney, the Republican governor said that the dog was "vicious," and called the backlash "ridiculous."
"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 told Varney. "So it's included because a lot of politicians have run from the truth. They want to try to hide from tough decisions."
"I'm proud of this book," Noem said. "I know that a lot of people are using attacks to try to take me down because they're scared of me. I have so much support and all I've done is won."
Old Yeller, lobbycard, 1957.Abigail Disney described the tragic killing of Old Yeller as "compassionate." (LMPC via Getty Images)
Disney said that unlike the compassionate shooting of Old Yeller, Noem shot the dog because it was "too hard to teach."
"In Old Yeller, the family comes to see the lovable stray dog as an indispensable member of the family. The film’s climactic moment is a heartbreaking one, when the father has no choice but to shoot Old Yeller when the dog contracts rabies because of the inevitable threat to their lives – and, out of compassion, to end the suffering the dog would have to endure," Disney said in the letter to the PCCC.
"Noem shot her family’s 14-month-old puppy after a hunting trip, in her own account, because she was too hard to teach," Disney said. "‘I hated that dog,’ she wrote, framing the killing of a puppy as an example of strength."
"Kristi Noem is not strong. Like Trump, she is cruel and selfish," she said.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, left, embraces South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem at a campaign rally, Saturday, March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Gov. Noem's office, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Abigail Disney for comment.
Fox News' Audrey Spady contributed to this report.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
She is a native of Massachusetts and is based in Orlando, Florida.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.
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