Noem Explains Why She Told That Dog Story

Just weeks ago, when South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was taking heat for the revelation that she killed her own dog, the question arose whether the commotion over that would blow her chances at being selected as Donald Trump's running mate. The answer appears to be yes: Noem popped up over the weekend on Meet the Press, and she confirmed she hasn't had an official vetting to be the next VP, reports NBC News. "I haven't received any paperwork. No, I haven't," Noem conceded on Sunday, adding, "I've had conversations with the president, and I know that he is the only one who will be making the decisions on who will be his vice president."

• The female factor: In early June, the 52-year-old governor had suggested that Trump might be better off selecting a woman to be his vice presidential candidate, noting that "all the polls tell him in these swing states that a woman on the ticket helps him win." When asked Sunday, however, if Trump would be messing up by not picking a woman, Noem demurred, simply saying, "He needs to pick the best person for the job ... pick someone that will help him win."

• Fatal decision? Noem was also asked if she thought letting the world know she'd shot her dog Cricket had effectively killed her chances at a VP slot. "You know, I would say that was a story from 20 years ago about me protecting my children from a vicious animal, so we've covered that," she said, per the Independent. "The reason it's in my book is because that book is filled with challenging times and hard decisions."
• So who's on the list? NBC reports that Trump's VP hunt has seemingly been winnowed down to three men: Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. JD Vance, and Doug Burgum, current governor of Noem neighbor North Dakota. CNN, meanwhile, names other contenders who may end up at Trump's side for the election, and there are three women on that list: Rep. Elise Stefanik, former South Carolina Gov. and GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

(More Kristi Noem stories.)