Republican South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem shared photos this week from a short staff retreat. The former Trump VP contender wore a black hoodie, camo-print pants and a baseball cap as she and the group of approximately 15 people hiked Bear Butte, dropped in at Cammack Ranch Supply, and stopped by Lt. Governor Larry Rhoden‘s sign on the way out of Union Center (population 649).
Noem added that they ended the day with lunch at a bar and grill called The Loud American in Sturgis, which Noem says will be “FULL of bikers in just a couple months for the Sturgis Rally.”
I had the best day on a short staff retreat with some of my favorite South Dakotans! We hiked Bear Butte, stopped by Cammack Ranch Supply, and of course we had to stop by @larryrhoden’s sign on the way out of Union Center. We ended the day with lunch at The Loud American in… pic.twitter.com/pz8BSSqXZ8
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) June 19, 2024
More than one noted that in the group photo, standing in front of Larry Rhoden’s sign is a dog sitting at the feet of Noem, which provoked comments about Noem’s admission in her memoir No Going Back that she fatally shot her family pet Cricket, a 14-month-old dog, because he was “untrainable.” (Noem received blowback from Republicans and Democrats alike for her canine killer role.)
As one commenter replied: “Anyone done a welfare check on this dog that was spotted posing next to Noem?”
Political pundit Peter Henlein chimed in with criticism and wrote to Noem: “Don’t post photos with dogs. You shouldn’t be near them, you grotesque weirdo.”