During the 2024 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, comedian Matt Friend tackled a tough crowd with his signature jabs at ‘Sleepy Joe’ and ‘Puppy Killer’.
Greeting the 2,600 attendees, Friend quipped, “What’s with the silence? Quieter than Sleepy Joe!” before launching into a series of politically charged jokes.
Among the lines that elicited a mix of gasps, groans, and laughter was, “I’m killing this dinner harder than Kristi Noem kills puppies,” drawing even louder applause.
The controversy stemmed from Noem’s upcoming book, ‘No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward’, where she candidly discusses euthanizing her 14-month-old puppy, Cricket, whom she deemed “untrainable” and “less than worthless”.
Describing Cricket as “difficult, messy, and ugly”, she admitted to shooting the puppy in a gravel pit, igniting a firestorm of criticism. Critics condemned her actions as “deliberately cruel” and “unsporting”.
Even staunch supporters expressed dismay, with some, like MAGA account Matthew Nichol, declaring Noem “done” in their eyes. Noem attempted to defend her actions on social media, citing the harsh realities of farm life and previous tough decisions regarding animals.
The controversy surrounding Noem’s admission underscored the ethical considerations surrounding animal welfare and provoked a heated debate about responsible pet ownership.
