Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) is facing criticism about a story in her book that has nothing to do with her killing her allegedly “dangerous” dog.
Aside from the grim story about shooting her family’s failed hunting dog, a 14-month-old named Cricket, Noem also uses the book to recount what appears to be a tall tale about meeting with an infamous world leader. The Dakota Scout reports that in Noem’s book, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, which will be released next week, she claims to have met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un while serving in Congress.
“Through my tenure on the House Armed Services Committee, I had the chance to travel to many countries to meet with world leaders,” Noem wrote in the book, according to the outlet. “I remember when I met with 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).
“Dealing with foreign leaders takes resolve, preparation and determination,” Noem continues. “My experiences on those many foreign trips made me a better member of Congress and a stronger governor. It allowed me to hone my deal-making skills, which play a crucial role in leadership.”
Noem represented South Dakota in the House of Representatives from 2011 until 2019, serving on the House Armed Services Committee from 2013 until 2015. Kim’s first international trip was in 2018, and no congressional delegation made any reported trips to North Korea during her time on the committee.
An anonymous former high-level staffer on the committee told the outlet that Noem’s claim was “bulls***,” and the Dakota Scout reported that it spoke to a dozen former committee staffers who had no knowledge of a meeting between Kim and Noem. She did visit China while a member of the House Armed Services Committee in 2014.
Noem spokesman Ian Fury told Politico that the governor’s office has “been made aware that the publisher will be addressing conflated world leaders’ names in the book before it is released.”
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Noem was elected governor of South Dakota in 2018, the same year then-President Donald Trump had his first meeting with Kim in Singapore. She has been considered one of the top contenders to be Trump’s running mate in November.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Noem’s office for comment.