Kristi Noem’s memoir had another shocking passage that’s now being removed 

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s memoir — out this week — has dominated headlines in recent days. However, it’s not for any reason the Republican lawmaker would welcome.

First, there was the part in the book where she talks about shooting a 14-month-old puppy. In the book, she said she “hated” Cricket (the name of the female pooch) and that it was untrainable. She also said it had been aggressive to other animals. So she dragged Cricket to a gravel pit and shot her in front of a “startled construction crew.”

Condemnation was swift and she’s been trying to defend her actions ever since. 

On Friday, it emerged that certain passages of the book will be removed from future editions. In one passage, Noem wrote, “I remember when I met with the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. I’m sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I’d been a children’s pastor after all).”

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There’s one big problem with this. There’s no record of Noem ever meeting Kim Jong Un. 

“I’ve met with many, many world leaders”

Yesterday, appearing on CBS News’ Face The Nation, Noem faced questions about this. 

Asked if she had met the North Korean dictator, Noem refused to give a firm answer.

Instead, she said, “You know, as soon as this was brought to my attention I certainly made some changes and looked at this passage. And I’ve met with many, many world leaders. I’ve traveled around the world. As soon as it was brought to my attention, we went forward and made some edits. And I’m glad this book is being released in a couple of days and those edits will be in place and people will have the updated version.”

“So you did not meet with Kim Jung Un?” pushes reporter Margaret Brennan. 

Noem again declines to give an answer.

“I’m not going to talk about my specific meetings with world leaders. I’m just not going to do that,” she says. “This anecdote should not have been in the book and as soon as it was brought to my attention, I made sure that was adjusted.”

Watch the awkward encounter below. 

Face the Nation just did to Kristi Noem what she did to Cricket

pic.twitter.com/wfufOgkCwP

— Keith Edwards (@keithedwards) May 5, 2024

Emmanuel Macron

We guess misremembering the time you met up with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un is an easy mistake to make, right? 

However, it turns out this isn’t the only passage to receive a re-write.  

AP News reports that other passages were also yanked after being queried. Noem wrote about turning down an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to sit in his box to watch an Armistice Day Parade. Noem says she turned the offer down because Macron made “pro-Hamas” comments. Representatives for Macron now say he never invited her to the box. 

Her account of dates in which she spoke with Nikki Hayley has also been dropped.

A spokesperson for Noem, Ian Fury, said the book had “has two small errors. This has been communicated to the ghostwriter and editor.”

“The book has not been released yet, and all future editions will be corrected.” 

Corrected or not, it seems that the release of Noem’s memoir, “No Going Back”, has blown up in her face. Many political commentators believe the puppy-slaying story alone has torched her ambitions of being Donald Trump’s Vice President pick. 

Main image: Gage Skidmore, via CC BY-S.A 2.0

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