Why think when you can act? Kristi Noem's leadership manual

Kristi Noem’s political career has never exactly followed a straight line. She started out as a rancher in South Dakota, made her way into Congress, then became the Governor of South Dakota, and now she's sitting in one of the most powerful security roles in the country—Secretary of Homeland Security. Sounds impressive, right? But lately, her choices have raised more eyebrows than cheers.

Let’s just say, if there were a leadership manual with Kristi Noem’s name on it, it might be titled something like: “Why Think When You Can Act?” Because that’s been the theme of her biggest controversies so far—especially the two most recent ones, involving a family dog and a suspiciously sketchy assassination plot against Donald Trump.

A dog named Cricket (RIP)
Let’s start with the dog. Noem dropped a political bombshell earlier this year when she released her memoir No Going Back. In it, she talks about her 14-month-old German wirehaired pointer named Cricket. According to her, Cricket was a nightmare: unruly, aggressive, and a threat to livestock. So Noem did what no pet owner expects to read in a political memoir—she drove Cricket out to a gravel pit and shot her.

Yes, you read that right.

She shot her dog and then wrote about it like it was just another life lesson on tough decision-making. Her reasoning? The dog was “untrainable” and had “a mean streak.” Noem framed it as a metaphor for leadership—that sometimes, you just have to do the hard thing.

But to millions of pet owners, animal lovers, and even her own supporters, this wasn’t some John Wayne moment. It was shocking, brutal, and not exactly the kind of anecdote that makes someone sound stable enough to lead a federal security agency. Social media exploded. Pundits questioned her judgment. Late-night hosts had a field day.

And it didn’t stop there. Critics pointed out that the dog story wasn’t just bad PR—it revealed something deeper about Noem’s instinctive, act-first-think-later style.

Then came the “assassination plot”
If the dog story wasn’t weird enough, buckle up.

In May 2025, Noem made headlines again. This time, she claimed that a 54-year-old undocumented immigrant named Ramon Morales Reyes had threatened to assassinate Donald Trump. According to Noem, Reyes sent a handwritten letter outlining his intent to kill the former president. The claim was huge, and of course, it caught fire everywhere.

But, like Cricket’s obedience training, things didn’t go according to plan.

After some digging, investigators revealed that Reyes may not have written the letter at all. In fact, handwriting analysis suggested he had nothing to do with it. Even worse? There’s speculation he was framed to keep him from testifying in an unrelated assault case where he was a victim. The whole thing unraveled like a bad TV crime plot.

Suddenly, this wasn't a case of national security—it was a story of someone possibly being falsely accused for political theater. And once again, Noem was at the center of it, making bold claims without waiting for facts.

A pattern emerges
When you look at these two incidents side by side, a pattern becomes hard to ignore. Whether it’s putting down a family pet or accusing someone of trying to kill a former president, Noem seems to default to the same playbook: take swift, dramatic action first, worry about accuracy later.

Sure, some folks admire decisiveness. In politics, it can be refreshing to see someone act quickly, especially when we’re so used to endless debates and red tape. But in Noem’s case, her brand of “leadership” feels more like cowboy justice than thoughtful governance.

And let’s be real, when you’re the Secretary of Homeland Security, overseeing complex threats, managing border security, and coordinating disaster response, you need to be precise. You need to weigh risks, consider the consequences, and maybe, just maybe, get the facts straight before going on TV.

So why does all this matter?

Well, it matters because Noem isn’t just a political figure with a few controversial stories in her past. She’s now in charge of a massive federal agency with over 240,000 employees. The Department of Homeland Security isn’t some casual gig—it’s the organization responsible for everything from cybersecurity to counterterrorism.

And in a world where national security threats are often complex, multilayered, and involve a lot of gray areas, you need someone with a cool head. Someone who doesn’t treat every situation like a showdown at high noon.

Instead, we’ve got someone who’s already demonstrated a knack for overreaction. Whether she’s executing a family pet or making a public example out of someone who might be innocent, Noem doesn’t seem all that interested in nuance. And when it comes to Homeland Security, nuance isn’t optional—it’s everything.

At the end of the day, Kristi Noem’s story is less about one dog or one letter and more about what kind of leadership we need in high-stakes roles.

Do we want someone who sees every problem as a nail because they’re always holding a hammer? Or do we want someone who takes the time to investigate, reflect, and make the right call—even if it’s not the flashy one?