Most Americans do not approve of Kristi Noem shooting and killing her dog.

Former President Donald Trump believes that South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who gained notoriety for shooting and killing her own dog, is a strong leader who has had a rough week.

A recent survey conducted among 1,794 U.S. adults revealed that a majority of Americans, 66%, disapprove of Gov. Noem’s decision to shoot her family dog after it caused havoc during a pheasant hunt and killed a neighbor’s chickens. In her upcoming memoir, Noem portrays this incident as an example of her willingness to tackle challenging tasks, even if they are difficult and messy.

Noem describes the dog as “untrainable” and “less than worthless,” expressing her hatred towards the 14-month-old wirehaired pointer. Only 14% of Americans approve of her actions, with a mere 26% of Republicans supporting her decision, while 50% of Republicans disapprove.

Despite the controversy surrounding her dog, Trump commended Gov. Noem’s performance as Governor, describing her as a “terrific person.” However, the survey results indicated that only 13% of Americans think it would be a good idea for Trump to choose Noem as his running mate in the 2024 election, with 48% believing it would be a bad idea.

One of Trump’s allies mentioned that Noem’s chances are slim, stating, “Any time you have to respond more than once to a story, it’s not good.” Even before the dog incident was revealed, only 4% of Republican voters selected Noem as their preferred choice for Trump’s Vice Presidential candidate, ranking lower than other potential candidates.

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott led the list of potential Trump VP choices, followed by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and former HUD Secretary Ben Carson. Noem ranked at the bottom of the list, alongside New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.

Moving forward, a significant number of Republicans indicated that it would not matter if Trump’s running mate commits to accepting the 2024 election results in advance, with some even preferring a candidate who refuses to commit. This has become a crucial factor in the selection process, especially after the strained relationship between Trump and his former Vice President Mike Pence over the 2020 election results.