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The act of killing a dog is considered a crime that is punishable under the felony laws of all 50 states in the United States. However, in President Donald Trump’s eyes, it’s an indication of the tough attitude he wants to reward by way of promotion to a national position. Such is the case of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who cold-bloodedly shot her 14-month-old puppy out of hate. You see, in America, even dog killers get to live comfortably, and that speaks volumes of how the next four years might look like.
Kristi Noem’s updated net worth
As a public official, Noem is obliged to submit financial disclosures, and based on her records, she earns a staggering $3.3 million annually, including $2 million from business ventures and $1.5 million in anonymous gifts. This is despite earning a modest salary of $118,000 from her position as governor.
Noem reportedly has four bank accounts, including a personal JPMorgan account with a balance of $1.1 million and a Citi Bank checking account used for business profits, which holds $1.6 million. While she does not earn as much from her political role, she’s secured what could be a lifetime of wealth through her diverse investment portfolio, which includes shares in Amazon, Nike, Pfizer, and Walmart. She’s also invested in Tesla, owned by Trump’s BFF, Elon Musk.
The dog slayer has real estate holdings comprising three commercial structures and eight residential properties across South Dakota, Illinois, and Minnesota. She also has a 700-acre farmland in Iowa. Perhaps this was the location of the gravel pit in which she killed her pet puppy Cricket, since she indicated in her memoir, No Going Back, that she was grooming the mutt to be a hunting dog.
Between her real estate assets yielding $225,000 annually in rental income, her business ventures generating millions, and her business partnership with Cameron Friscia — the husband of Fox News anchor Kat Timpf, Noem’s net worth is estimated to be $19 million per data presented in December 2024. Now that she’s poised to serve in the national government, the pup killer could generate as much wealth as her ballooning ego.
Noem’s nomination under Trump
Trump, who just became the 47th president of the United States, has appointed Noem to replace outgoing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The move is not surprising, considering Noem has a criminal mindset similar to that of her convicted felon big boss. Given her callous disregard for animal life, it’s concerning that she did not receive a class two misdemeanor charge.
In her book, she vividly recounted the gruesome fate Cricket suffered at her hands when the dog accidentally got loose and attacked a neighbor’s chicken. She proudly shared that she sent her pet dog to a gravel pit and shot him dead there. “I hated that dog,” she wrote coldly. Adding insult to injury, she went on to describe how she also shot a pet goat she disliked. Her first attempt did not kill the farm animal since she ran out of bullets, so she reloaded her gun and went back to finish the job.
In the wake of her memoir’s release in May last year, The Humane Society of the United States slammed her gesture, saying, “Treating animal life as so disposable is a shocking repudiation of the kind of relationships that so many of us have experienced with animals, regardless of their misbehaviors.” The organization also questioned the moral and political implications of Noem’s cruelty, seeing that she would rather give up on those who are vulnerable than resolve the issue in the most understanding way.
During her confirmation hearing on Jan. 18, Noem focused on Trump’s hardline platform. She pledged to secure the southern border and vowed to shut down the CBP One app, framing her nomination as a step toward bolstering national security. She also vowed to secure the border during Trump’s second term, and we can’t expect her to be understanding or value life while doing her job.