‘All dogs, please, this is not a drill’: Donald Trump appoints a puppy killer as his Secretary of Homeland Security

Donald Trump continues filling his administration with unsavory figures as he selects puppy killer South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as his Homeland Security secretary.

For his second presidency, Trump appears intent on appointing the most extreme loyalists to his cabinet. Recently, he named Tom Homan as his “border czar.” The former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (CEI) director under Trump’s first presidency gained a notorious reputation for tearing children from their parents with his family separation policy. As the new border czar, he has already outlined a chilling plan to deport entire families together, including families with children who are American-born. Trump followed Homan’s appointment by naming Noem his Secretary of Homeland Security. Her position puts her at the head of a powerful department that oversees everything from border control to the United States Secret Service. On top of that, she also has a poor reputation as a puppy killer whose hateful comments about Indigenous tribes led to her being banned from their lands.

America fears for dogs’ safety under Kristi Noem

Before her appointment as Secretary of Homeland Security, Noem had been viewed as a top contender for Trump’s running mate in the 2024 Presidential election. However, she lost her chance at the vice presidency after she horrified Democrats and Republicans alike with the revelations in her memoir, No Going Back. The one excerpt that garnered the most attention was when she recounted killing her family’s puppy, Cricket. She apparently expected the 14-month-old Cricket to be a perfect hunting dog and became “livid” when the animal didn’t do as she told it to. So, she decided to kill it, shooting both the puppy and a family goat dead. Later in the book, she also suggested that if she were president, she would kill Joe Biden’s dog, Commander, too.

Noem appeared to be bragging about how she could make “tough decisions” and thought Republicans would herald her actions. Instead, her actions sparked outrage and horror from both political parties. Her actions were condemned, and her vice president’s chances immediately evaporated. Not only did she appear unfit for the vice presidency, but for any role in the government. The cold-blooded killing of innocent animals is a deeply disturbing, troubling sign that should not be present in anyone in a position of authority. It’s quite ironic that Trump raised hysteria over his false claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, OH, were eating cats and dogs but then turned around and appointed a puppy killer to one of his highest positions.

Meanwhile, the puppy incident is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Noem. She has been banned from at least six tribal lands due to her hateful rhetoric and actions against Indigenous people, including accusing the tribes of being connected to the Mexican drug cartels and being absent parents. However, none of this matters to Trump because she has consistently matched his extremism and proven her loyalty. She has backed him on nearly every stance, from his “Muslim ban” bill to his desire to repeal the Affordable Care Act. She has taken a hardline stance on immigration, advocated for no exception to abortion laws for child victims of rape, outright defied COVID-19 protocols, and claimed her two-year-old granddaughter owns a shotgun.

On social media, many have brought up Noem’s past and bemoaned what her new position means for the safety of animals. One user issued a PSA to dogs, stating, “All dogs, please, this is not a drill, please seek shelter immediately.”

Trump has just put an enormous amount of power in the hands of a woman with sordid relationships with Indigenous people and who is widely disliked and accused of animal cruelty. She has little track record proving she’s capable of this responsibility, further reiterating that Trump prioritizes loyalty and extremism over capable leaders.