Donald Trump Offers Support: 'We All Have Bad Weeks,' Defends Governor Kristi Noem Amidst Controversy

In his first public comments on the firestorm surrounding South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem's admission that she killed her family dog, former President Donald Trump came to her defense while acknowledging it was "a tough story." The remarks provide insight into how the likely 2024 Republican nominee views the scandal as he considers potential running mates.

Appearing on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton radio show, Trump was asked about the backlash Noem has faced over a passage in her new book describing how she shot and killed a 14-month-old puppy named Cricket.

The former president didn't mince words in calling it "a couple of rough stories," but maintained Noem is still "terrific." "When explained - the dog story - people hear that and people from different parts of the country probably feel a bit differently, but that's a tough story," Trump said. "She had a bad week. We all have bad weeks."

The anecdote from Noem's memoir sparked outrage among dog lovers and animal rights advocates. In it, she unapologetically recounts bringing the "less than worthless" wirehaired pointer to a gravel pit on her family's property and shooting it after it allegedly killed a neighbor's hens and attempted to bite her. She even called her dog “untrainable.”

Beyond the dog killing, Noem also faced criticism over a fictitious claim in the book of having met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un while a member of Congress, which her staff later walked back as an error by the ghostwriter, as per AP News.

The twin controversies overshadowed the intended rollout for No Going Back. For Trump, who is believed to be considering Noem as a potential vice presidential pick, the episode was a high-profile test of her viability on a national ticket. His measured defense indicates the door may still be open despite the missteps.

"Until this week, she was doing incredibly well. And she got hit hard, and sometimes you do books, and you have some guy writing a book and you maybe don't read it as carefully, you know," Trump said, appearing to give Noem the benefit of the doubt over the Kim Jong Un fiction. "You have ghostwriters too. They help you, and they, in this case, didn't help too much," as per The Daily Mail. 

Eventually, a number of Republican and Democratic governors criticized Noem for killing the pet. She did, however, defend her conduct by claiming that the murder and her readiness to talk about it showed how sincere and capable she was of making tough choices.

Joe Biden campaign spokesman James Singer released a statement following the airing of Trump's interview on Tuesday, saying that they are absolutely against puppy slaughter and "don’t think those who murder puppies are ‘terrific,’” as per the New York Post.