South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) faced a grilling from NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas over a now retracted claim from her book that she met North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and for refusing to answer a question on the January 6 Capitol riot.
Noem was once seen as a potential contender to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick for his 2024 campaign, but those chances have taken serious hits as Noem has gotten into multiple media scuffles over content in her new book. According to a report from Rolling Stone, Trump was among the critics of a tale in the book about Noem killing a puppy she deemed untrainable. According to the report, Trump was “disgusted” with the story.
Noem has found herself in a number of tense media interviews as a result. The criticism was exacerbated after she retracted a passage in book where she claimed to have met Kim Jong Un, a story many have cast doubt on as such a meeting would have been significant news.
On Elizabeth Vargas Reports, Vargas asked Noem to explain how such a mistake would make it into the book.
“I’ve met many world leaders around the world and I’ve been to the DMZ, I’ve been traveling for years and years talking to world leaders. Just that name should not be in the book and I’m not going to discuss those personal meeting,” Noem said, describing the retraction as an “adjustment.”
Vargas cited a spokesperson saying the story was “conflated,” and asked, “what does that even mean?”
Noem again said she’d spent years meeting many “world leaders,” and Vargas quickly flat-out asked her if she’d met Kim Jong Un.
“Some of them are in the book, and some of them are not in the book and when this was brought to my attention, I immediately took actions and asked to have his name removed,” Noem said.
Vargas pushed again for an answer, asking if the original story was “untrue.”
“This is something I’m not going to talk about. I don’t talk about personal meetings with world leaders and I’m going to continue to stay there,” Noem said.
“But clearly if you’re taking it out of the book, it’s because it’s not true,” Vargas shot back.
“I’ve given you my answer, and, no, that’s not the answer. I would say that this is something I asked to have adjusted and to have the content and that name removed and that is truly what the action has been,” Noem said.
Vargas pushed further saying Noem was completely aware of the story since she read the audiobook version.
Noem again noted she’s traveled for years and met many world leaders and insisted she answered the question.
“But you didn’t answer my question. You posted pictures and videos of yourself recording the audiobook. When you recorded your own audiobook, you didn’t notice —” Vargas said before Noem jumped back in.
“I’m not going to discuss about my meetings with world leaders,” the governor said.
“I’m not asking to. I’m asking you about recording the audiobook,” Vargas said.
“Did you want to talk about something else today?” Noem asked.
She referred to the Kim Jong Un story as an “anecdote” she shouldn’t have included in the book, but would not say she actually met the North Korean leader.
Tensions continued in the interview as talk turned to vice presidents and Vargas asked Noem if Mike Pence was right or wrong with his actions on January 6. Pence certified the election results despite Trump’s claims that the election was stolen, leading up to the Capitol riot.
“I wish Mike Pence would endorse President Trump right now,” Noem said.
Vargas pushed her multiple times for an answer on Pence’s actions, but Noem claimed it was somehow a hypothetical, rather than commenting on past literal actions by someone.
“I don’t talk in hypotheticals. The law’s changed. That situation will never happen again because the law’s been changed, so I don’t answer hypothetical questions,” the governor said.
“It’s not a hypothetical. I’m just asking you —”
“Yes, it is, because it’ll never happen again,” she said.
Vargas asked again, but Noem said she wasn’t in Pence’s shoes that day and again called for him to endorse Trump.
Watch above via NewsNation.
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