Kristi Noem’s attempt to gain political favor by boasting about shooting her dog, Cricket, has backfired spectacularly. While she may have expected to garner support from Trump loyalists by employing a strategy akin to trolling, her actions have instead drawn widespread condemnation, even from conservative circles.
Fox News and prominent right-wing figures have criticized her, with some labeling her as “absolute psycho” and calling for animal abuse charges.
Kristi Noem (Credits: The Guardian)
Despite the backlash, Noem persists in doubling down on her narrative, believing it will resonate with Republican voters. However, her efforts seem futile as even conservatives express revulsion. Her subsequent attempts to reframe the incident as “hard and painful” fail to mitigate the damage.
Noem’s mistake lies in openly revealing the sadistic ethos underlying the MAGA movement. Her act of killing the dog mirrors the mentality of exerting absolute dominance or inflicting maximum punishment on perceived inferior entities, a hallmark of the MAGA ideology.
Trump VP contender Kristi Noem (Credits: MSNBC News)
However, where she errs is in failing to adhere to the fascist playbook of projecting violence as self-defense against supposed threats.
Unlike Trump, who skillfully portrays his violence as necessary protection against the “radical left,” Noem’s admission lacks the veneer of victim-posturing. While she attempts to depict Cricket as dangerous, her narrative falters due to inconsistencies, failing to demonize the victim.
While some MAGA supporters may defend Noem’s actions, the broader movement recognizes the importance of maintaining a facade of moral justification for their cruelty. Noem’s misstep likely ends her political aspirations, serving as a cautionary tale for others in the MAGA fold: always cloak malice under the guise of a higher cause.
