Kristi Noem, Who Shot Her Dog, Is Campaigning for Trump in Morgantown

Animal talk is becoming increasingly popular in the presidential campaign.

First we heard a little-known interview from 2021 in which Republican vice presidential candidate Senator J.D. Vance criticizes prominent Democrats, “childless cat people.” Then on Tuesday, Taylor Swift supported Kamala Harris, pointing out that she lives with cats, not children.

Then, former President Donald Trump falsely told the world Tuesday during a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris that immigrants in Ohio were eating cats and dogs.

And on Thursday evening, South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem — who wrote in her book that she shot her 14 month elderly puppy — will deliver a speech at a Trump-sponsored event in Morgantown, Berks County, along with North Dakota Gov. Doug Bergum, also a Republican.

A strange coincidence has been noticed involving animals.

“Pennsylvanians who care about animal welfare might hold it against Trump,” JJ Balaban, a Democratic strategist from Philadelphia, said Thursday. “…As a prominent Berks County resident once said, ‘Karma is the cat.’”

He mentioned Swift, who comes from West Reading.

Spokespeople for Noem, Trump and Harris were not initially available for comment.