Tragic Details About Kristi Noem's Daughter Kennedy

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Being the daughter of President Donald Trump's controversial new Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem can't be easy. By now, every pundit knows that Noem boasted about killing her family's hunting dog, Cricket, after the dog killed some of her neighbor's chickens. "I hated that dog," Noem wrote in her book, "No Going Back." "I realized I had to put her down." So Noem did just that, and then proceeded to kill an old goat she dubbed "nasty and mean" and who apparently had a penchant for chasing her kids around. The poor animal had to be shot twice because Noem's aim was off the first round. 

While all of this is horrifying, it had to be all the more so for Noem's then 7-year-old daughter, Kennedy Noem, who immediately asked her mom where Cricket was when she got home from school. "Kennedy looked around confused [and asked] 'Hey, where's Cricket?'" Noem wrote. The former congresswoman didn't elaborate on what she told her daughter, so whether Kennedy heard the brutal truth that day or found out about it in her mother's book is anyone's guess. Regardless, losing a dog who, by all accounts, was still a puppy, could not have been easy for the 7-year-old. Additionally, killing a young hunting dog for doing what they were bred to do without taking into consideration the impact it might have on a young child who clearly loved the dog is ice cold. 

Even Fox News questioned Noem extensively about the killing of her dog, and she didn't take to it kindly, telling Stuart Varney, "This interview is ridiculous... You need to stop" (via CNN). Having to see her mother rehashing the terrible story about Cricket's death on TV couldn't exactly have been a pleasant experience for Kennedy. 

Aside from having her family's dog brutally killed by her mother, Kennedy Noem weathered some other tragedies as she got older. She was an avid basketball player set to play for the University of Sioux Falls when she suffered a serious back injury during a game in her high school sophomore year.

"I spent six months in a back brace before I tried to actively get involved in basketball again," Kennedy told SDPB in 2018. It must have been a painful six months for Kennedy. According to MidAmerica Orthopaedics, fractures are common injuries reported among basketball players and can be incredibly painful. This pain can become chronic if the correct treatment isn't administered. In worst-case scenarios, fractures can even lead to bone deformation. 

Kennedy had to undergo a spinal fusion after her injury, but she was determined to overcome what she initially thought was a temporary setback.  She still had plans to play college basketball, after all. Unfortunately, her body wasn't cooperating, and her doctor advised against her continuing her basketball career. "My back really couldn't take it. And I figured I wanted to be able to enjoy life," Kennedy said about making the decision to quit the sport for good.

After her dreams to play college basketball were dashed, Kennedy Noem decided to follow in her mother's footsteps and pursue a degree in political science. She told SDPB that everything worked out for the best. Kennedy landed a job right out of college as a staff member for her mother's new administration after Kristi Noem got elected as the first female governor of South Dekota in 2018, but the position wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

In what became one of the most controversial things Noem has ever done, she appointed her daughter as a policy analyst. Needless to say, her decision was heavily criticized, so much so that some of the state's irked lawmakers introduced an anti-nepotism bill in an effort to prevent this from happening again. It must truly suck to land your first job only to be met with so much criticism. Kennedy told SDPB that she expected the backlash. "I think the hardest thing for me is, people think I'm in this position because she's my mom. Which is totally fine. It doesn't bother me," she said, but then admitted, "But it kind of looks past how hard I've worked and the internships I've had. I've definitely worked hard in school to be prepared for this."

Noem announced her new staff in a statement in which she proudly professed, "These are some of the best. These folks will bring a wide variety of perspectives to the table. They're results-focused, and I know they'll do everything they can to serve the people of our state" (via the Argus Leader). Kennedy didn't stick it out for the entirety of her mother's term, leaving the administration in 2020 to pursue a business degree.

Kristi Noem killed Kennedy Noem's childhood puppy, tarnished her daughter's reputation when she appointed her as a member of her administration, and continues to make all the wrong waves, which will no doubt affect Kennedy's life indefinitely. With Noem being the secretary of Homeland Security, she's in the spotlight constantly, and she's been caught in some painfully awkward moments that were seen by millions. Noem has been dubbed the "ICE Barbie," thanks to her relentless support of President Donald Trump's merciless crackdown on immigration policies. She has also landed in hot water for requesting a $50 million private jet (she already has one so it's unclear why she would need an upgrade).

Additionally, Noem has made headlines for reportedly having thrown her support behind a possible reality TV show that would cover immigrants competing for American citizenship (we're getting some serious "Hunger Games" vibes from this one). The Daily Mail first broke this story, confirming that it had the pitch for the show in its possession. A spokesperson for Noem was adamant that the Homeland Security secretary is yet to be told about the proposed show. And to think, not too long ago, Noem's awkward dancing alongside Donald Trump would have been number one on our list of things she's done that Kennedy will never live down.