This isn't the first time Kristi Noem has publicly boasted of her capacity for cruelty.
For conservatives, the cruelty is the point. Conservatives like cruelty in their candidates.
https://973kkrc.com/south-dakota-governor-noem-goes-to-canada-to-kill-bear/
Someone who savors suffering animals this much shouldn't be let anywhere near public office.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/kristi-noems-new-book-includes-a-bizarrely-detailed-account-of-killing-her-pet-dog