‘Commander, say hello to Cricket’: Noem book contains threat against Biden dog

South Dakota governor and Trump VP hopeful refuses to back down amid scandal over animal killings and North Korea claim

Tuesday will see publication of No Going Back, a campaign book by the South Dakota governor Kristi Noem that generated unusual buzz after the Guardian revealed how Noem describes in detail the day she shot dead her dog, Cricket, which she deemed untrainable and dangerous, and an unnamed goat.

The revelation sparked a political firestorm, widely held to have incinerated Noem’s chances of being named running mate to Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.