The internet is criticizing Kristi Noem after the former secretary of Homeland Security posted a photo with a hunting dog over the weekend.
On Saturday, Oct. 17, Noam shared a photo on X with the dog Foster to celebrate the start of pheasant hunting season in South Dakota.
"Foster and I wish you good luck in the field!" Noem wrote in her post. "Pheasant hunting is part of who we are, and it’s a tradition worth passing on to our kids and grandkids." The state's traditional pheasant hunting season runs Oct. 17 through Jan. 31, 2027, according to South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks.
Happy Opener, South Dakota! Foster and I wish you good luck in the field! Pheasant hunting is part of who we are, and it’s a tradition worth passing on to our kids and grandkids.
As Governor, I partnered with landowners to start the Second Century Initiative, helping turn… pic.twitter.com/030yIoiWGL
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) October 17, 2026
But the post has been met with mixed feedback, with many expressing concern for the dog's wellbeing. Two years ago, Noem shared details in her second memoir about shooting and killing a dog on her farm because it was "untrainable." The comments circulated widely because at the time she was being considered as President Donald Trump's vice president running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
"Someone save that dog," one X user commented on Noem's post. "The worst possible thing you could post would be a dog and a gun, lady. Come on," another user commented.
Why is the internet concerned about Kristi Noem's post?
Criticism followed Noem's post because in 2024, the conservative politician admitted she killed an "untrainable" dog named Cricket that she "hated." Noem shared the details in her memoir, "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward."
Noem wrote that she realized the dog needed to be put down because it was a "trained assassin" and "dangerous to anyone she came in contact with."
"We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm," Noem wrote in an X post responding to comments from the Democratic party and organizations like PETA. "Sadly, we just had to put down 3 horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years."
In the comments of her recent X post, commenters posted zoomed-in photos of the dog's face with comments like "Dog looks worried" and "Gulp."
Kacey Musgraves resurfaces dog shooting
Days before Noem's post, country musician Kacey Musgraves referenced the dog shooting after Noem said she'd take the musician Ella Langley "over Kacey Musgraves" any day after Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico shared pictures of him attending Musgraves' concert.
"I don’t think you have a dog in this fight but if you did you would have shot it," Musgraves wrote in an X post.
I don’t think you have a dog in this fight but if you did you would have shot it. https://t.co/bI50bahJZu
— K A C E Y (@KaceyMusgraves) October 12, 2026
Kristi Noem's special envoy role concludes
Noem's post also came a day after the State Department confirmed to USA TODAY that her time as special envoy to the Shield of the Americas ended.
She became the special envoy in March after Trump announced she was ousted from her role as Homeland Security security. Noem will remain involved with the Shield of the Americas as a senior advisor to Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
Contributing: Reuters, Saman Shafiq and Emily R. Condon, USA TODAY
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Internet worries after Kristi Noem shares photo with hunting dog
