White House hits back at Noem’s comments about Commander after it’s revealed her first publisher told her to drop the dead dog story

The White House has hit back at Kristi Noem’s suggestion that Joe Biden’s dog Commander should have been shot for biting Secret Service members, as it emerged her publishers had previously tried to prevent her from writing about killing her own dog.

The South Dakota governor was chided by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre who warned her that she should «stop digging herself into a hole“ over the bizarre issue.

At the daily briefing on Monday, Ms Jean-Pierre was asked about comments made by the governor suggesting Joe Biden's German shepherd, Commander, should have been shot for biting Secret Service members at least two dozen times between October 2022 and June 2023.

“So, how many people is enough people to be attacked and dangerously hurt before you make a decision on a dog and what to do with it?” Ms Noem asked on CBS's Face the Nation. “That’s a question that the president should be held accountable to.”

Ms Noem has been widely criticised for her admission in her upcoming memoir No Going Back that decades ago she shot her 14-month-old puppy, Cricket because she „hated“ the animal. After shooting the dog, she said she dumped it in a gravel pit.

“What I would say to her is, she probably should stop digging herself into a hole,” Ms Jean-Pierre told reporters. She added that suggesting that Mr Biden should have shot his dog was „disturbing“ and „absurd.“

“Here, this is a country that loves dogs and you have a leader talking about putting dogs down, killing them,” she said. “And, that’s a disturbing statement to say.”

Ms Noem had been considered a top possible pick for Donald Trump's 2024 running mate, but her chances may be in question after the wave of bad press that has hit her.

It wasn't like Ms Noem