Kristi Noem Tells Stuart Varney 'You Need To Stop' In Testy Exchange About Dog

Gov. Kristi Noem  (R-S.D.) got into a testy exchange with Fox Business host Stuart Varney on Tuesday as he doggedly asked questions about her dog-shooting scandal . 

Do you think it was good politics to include that story? Varney asked the governor, referring to an anecdote she put in her book, No Going Back, about killing her dog, Cricket, for being less than worthless as a hunting dog.

In response, Noem claimed that her political opponents have used it for years, so she thought people should know the truth on it.

But it was when Varney started asking Noem questions about whether she had spoken to former President Donald Trump since the story broke that she had a cow.

Initially, she seemed OK with the line of questioning, telling Varney that she regularly talks to Trump and they absolutely spoke after the dog-killing story broke.

But she snapped after Varney asked her what Trump thought about her current situation.

Enough, Stuart. This interview is ridiculous, what you are doing right now, Noem griped. You need to stop.

She then asked Varney to talk about some real topics that Americans care about, but, sadly for her, he broke the news that they were out of time.

Noem has faced hard questions  about her new book, but she may not have expected a Fox-employed host to ask non-softball questions. 

It must have been a double shock for the governor in a separate interview on Tuesday, when Newsmax host Rob Finnerty pressed Noem on a dubious claim  in No Going Back that she previously met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un .

Although the anecdote is being removed from the book , Noem has refused to explain how it got in there or if the encounter really happened.

Governor, that never happened, did it? Finnerty asked about the alleged meeting.

What I have said in the book is that when I became aware of the content that we had it changed, Noem said. And thats the way that it is, so I should not have put that anecdote in the book. Im not going to talk about my meetings.

Finnerty pointed out that an anecdote indicates that it happened, right? But Noem wasnt taking the bait.

Im not going to talk about my conversations with world leaders, she said. Ive been involved in policy for 30 years. For 30 years, Ive been traveling the world talking to world leaders, and that is a conversation that Im not going to have in this book.

Finnerty continued the inquiry.

Im asking if the meeting actually happened, he said. I dont think it did, and I think if it did, youd be able to confirm for me that yes, it did, and heres when it happened. It happened, say, at such-and-such a date or a month, or you dont have to be specific.

Im not going to talk about my conversations with world leaders, Noem replied.

Then youre going to continue to have to answer this question then, Finnerty said.

I dont think so, Noem said before changing the subject to attacking President Joe Biden.