Fired 'ICE Barbie' Kristi Noem Brutally Mocked Over Photo With New Hunting Dog as Critics Beg Her Not to 'Kill Him'
Kristi Noem sparked backlash after sharing a photo with her new hunting dog, Foster.
Oct. 19 2026, Updated 11:30 a.m. ET
Kristi Noem is being roasted online after sharing a photo with her new hunting dog, with critics bringing up her controversial admission that she shot and killed her previous pet, Cricket, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The former Homeland Security secretary's post quickly turned into a flood of comments from users questioning whether her latest four-legged companion was safe.
Kristi Noem's Hunting Photo Sparks Backlash
Kristi Noem's latest hunting photo prompted critics to revisit her admission about killing her dog, Cricket.
Noem took to X on October 17 to share a picture with her dog, Foster, as she marked the beginning of pheasant hunting season.
"Pheasant hunting is part of who we are, and it's a tradition worth passing on to our kids and grandkids," she wrote.
However, the post attracted attention for reasons beyond her enthusiasm for the sport.
Users recalled the backlash that followed her account of killing Cricket in her 2024 memoir, No Going Back.
Kristi Noem celebrated pheasant hunting season with her dog Foster on October 17.
Critics Beg Kristi Noem to Spare Foster
Critics urged Kristi Noem to spare her new dog.
Tommy Vietor, a former Obama National Security Council staffer, weighed in on the photo, writing, "This poor dog is staring at the camera like he's on death row."
Other commenters quickly joined in, saying, "SOMEONE SAVE THAT DOG," and "Please don't kill him."
"The worst possible thing you could post would be a dog and a gun, lady. Come on," another user wrote.
"Dog looks worried," a third person commented, while someone else claimed, "The dog looks terrified you're gonna Cricket him."
Another critic offered a more direct assessment of Noem, writing, "You are seriously insane!"
Kristi Noem's Confession About Cricket
Kristi Noem shot and killed Cricket after an incident.
The reaction stems from Noem's own account of what happened to Cricket, a 14-month-old dog she described taking on a pheasant hunt in her memoir.
According to the former governor, Cricket killed a neighbor's chickens and attempted to bite her when she tried to restrain the animal.
Noem wrote that she took the dog to a gravel pit and shot her dead, describing Cricket as "untrainable" and dangerous.
Animal lovers were outraged as Noem was being considered as a potential running mate for Donald Trump in 2024.
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Kristi Noem Defended Her Actions
Kristi Noem defended her decision to kill Cricket after revealing the incident in her 2024 memoir, 'No Going Back.'
Noem defended her decision at the time, arguing that difficult choices sometimes had to be made on a farm and that she wanted to be honest about her experiences rather than present a polished political image.
"I can understand why some people are upset about a 20-year-old story of Cricket," she wrote on X in April 2024.
Noem later added, "The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down. Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did."
