Kristi Noem's Memoir Caused A Stir Before It Even Hit Shelves

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You've probably heard about Kristi Noem's scandal surrounding the death of a dog at her hands, which she talks about in her memoir, "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward." But what you might not know is that the dog story was just one of at least three scandals sparked by the book before it was even released on May 7, 2024. And unlike the rumors of Kristi Noem's love life, these scandals come directly from the politician herself.

Before the official release of the book, many outlets received advance excerpts to publish and review. One of those excerpts included a story where Noem claimed that she'd had a scheduled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, the leader of one of America's oldest allies, in 2023. "However," she wrote, "the day before we were to meet, he made what I considered a very pro-Hamas and anti-Israel comment to the press. So, I decided to cancel. There is no place for pro-Hamas rhetoric" (via Politifact).

This was supposed to be a mic-drop moment that emphasized her moral clarity — except that when fact-checkers looked into the anecdote, it didn't hold up. When contacted by The Associated Press, President Macron's office replied that it hadn't given Noem any "direct invitation." At best, they were both slated to attend the same event.

One of the more serious scandals in "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward" was Kristi Noem writing about an interaction she'd had with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who ran for the Republican ticket in the 2024 presidential election but lost to Donald Trump. She's had her fair share of scandals, such as Nikki Haley's catalogue of inappropriate outfits and alleged affairs, but none have involved threats, which is what Noem alleged in her memoir.

Noem wrote that she reached out to her personal assistant following a 2021 phone call, saying, "I'm pretty sure I was just threatened by Nikki Haley. It was clear that she wanted me to know that there was only room for one Republican woman in the spotlight." Interestingly, according to Noem, this is what Haley actually said: "I've heard a lot of really good things about you. But I also want you to know that if I hear something bad ... I will be sure to let you know."

Haley's words might come off as passive-aggressive, sure, but calling it threatening or aggressive might be a stretch. When Haley responded, she alleged that Noem misrepresented a lot about their conversation, such as the year it took place and the general vibe. According to Politifact, Haley's spokesperson said, "(Haley) called Governor Noem in 2020 to encourage her when she was criticized for keeping her state open during COVID. How she would twist that into a threat is just plain weird."

Kristi Noem's book also included a rather curious story about a meeting that allegedly took place with Kim Jong Un. She opened this section by writing, "I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un." She would go on to add, "I'm sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I'd been a children's pastor, after all)." It was clearly meant to be witty, but readers couldn't help noticing it was suspiciously light on details.

Noem avoided all follow-up questions until she appeared on the CBS program "Face the Nation" with Margaret Brennan on May 5, 2024. When asked directly, "Did you meet Kim Jong Un?" Noem refused to give a straight answer. "I'm not going to talk about my specific meetings with world leaders, I'm just not going to do that. This anecdote shouldn't have been in the book," she said.

Noem's director of communications, Ian Fury, later claimed the book contained "two small errors" that would be corrected (via Politifact). By May 7 — the book's release date — the Kim Jong Un story had been quietly removed, and the then-governor has never clarified why it had been there in the first place. These anecdotes might seem confusing until you consider them side-by-side with Kristi Noem's inappropriate "cosplay" outfits, which also show her political ambitions in full swing.