Kristi Noem Apparently Still Thinks She Has a Shot at Being Trump’s VP

Once upon a time, South Dakota governor Kristi Noem was on a short list of individuals whom Donald Trump was considering as his 2024 running mate. Then a tale of her dog (and goat) killing came out, and her fortunes changed very, very dramatically. On Fox Business, anchor Stuart Varney informed the governor that the network had “been consumed with emails saying, ‘I won’t vote for this person. I won’t vote for Trump if he puts her in the vice presidential spot.’” On Newsmax, host Rob Finnerty told Noem, to her face, that he didn’t think she had a shot in hell. “Haven’t seen a more public suicide than Jim Jones at Jonestown,” a Trumpworld source told the Daily Beast, adding that Noem’s odds of becoming Trump’s VP were now “less than zero.” Yet despite the extremely clear writing on the wall, it appears that Noem still believes she actually has a chance at the number two job.

Speaking to Club 47, a literal Donald Trump fan club, on Monday, the woman now best known for shooting her dog made the case that she is a “good investment” and will do “everything [she] can” to help reelect Trump. “I’ve won 12 campaigns now,” Noem said, according to Politico. “So I don’t know how to lose. I just win. That’s all we do.” Elsewhere in the speech, she reportedly claimed she and Trump share a special bond, noting that they complain about the media to each other “all the time.” Noem also reportedly took a dig at certain people who are said to be under consideration for VP after previously running against Trump and suggesting they’d “do a better job” as president. “Now they’re back on your team, aren’t they—begging for help?” she told the crowd she told Trump. “‘Oh, Mr. President, we think you’re so fantastic,’” she went on, impersonating the candidates. “Why would you run against him then? He obviously was the right plan from the beginning.”

Debra Tomarin of Palm Beach, who pointedly brought her dog to the event, told Politico she would prefer Rep. Tim Scott to be Trump’s running mate, saying: “Most people that are animal lovers wouldn’t vote for her.” She added, “Some things you just don’t put in a book.” Another attendee, who only gave her name as Gina, was unbothered by the dog-killing story, saying, “She’s a rancher—that’s what they do.” (Though Noem has urged people to read her new book, the anecdote describing the grisly killing of her 14-month-old wirehair pointer apparently comes off even “worse in context.”)

For his part, Trump appears content to drag out his veepstakes as long as possible, likely up until the Republican National Convention in July. At that point, he could make his running mate Scott, Senator J.D. Vance, Senator Marco Rubio, Rep. Byron Donalds, or Rep. Elise Stefanik. Or maybe he’ll name someone whom no one is even thinking of; as Trump himself has said, he doesn’t really think it matters one way or another. But it’s probably not going to be Kristi Noem.