Controversial South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, a keynote speaker on the California Republican National Convention this weekend, appeared buoyant Saturday because the party gathered in Burlingame to strategize and recruit members for the November election to strengthen.

She took swipes at Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Joe Biden and called on state Republicans to step up their support for local and national Republican candidates and ballot measures.

“I think the biggest difference between your governor and me is that I don’t know if he ever questions (whether his actions are constitutional”), Noem said, referring to Newsom’s COVID-19 lockdowns. “I think your governor is just saying, 'I'll do whatever the hell I want to do.' It works for him.”

Noem also criticized what she called Biden's loose border policies and his COVID-19 restrictions, saying she was “fighting fake news day-after-day.”

But unlike the often inflammatory Donald Trump, the presumptive presidential nominee, Noem encouraged his supporters to engage in “civil” dialogue with those with whom they disagree. “A diversity of opinions at the table and perspectives on background and experience in politics lead to better laws and better government,” she told the crowd.

Noem was once considered a possible running mate for Trump. But political experts said that was no longer likely since she revealed in her recent book that she shot her dog, angering Republicans and Democrats alike.

Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College and a former member of the Republican Party, said the selection of Noem as speaker was a decision made before the dog-killing controversy.

“It falls under the heading of 'gave the impression of an excellent idea on the time,'” Pitney said. “She was at the top of the list of vice presidential speculation. California Republicans wanted to bask in their reflected glory, but now, to use an unfortunate expression: “That dog won’t hunt.”

According to Noem, she took Cricket, a wire-haired dog, on a pheasant hunt with other experienced dogs. The governor eventually shot the dog after Cricket ate a farm family's chickens and bit Noem. She also wrote about killing a goat on the same day.

On Saturday, her comments on the controversy were limited: “Listen, I have a book coming out. Maybe you've heard a little about it. I guarantee you, if you listen to the media, you haven't heard the truth. That’s why I would recommend you read it.”

The conference participants seemed unaffected by the problems of dog protection.

“I haven't heard anyone mention this, and all I can say is: If you really care about dogs, which I do, go to the local animal shelter and adopt one,” said Betsy Mahan, Sacramento County GOP chairwoman.

Pamela Neitte-Garcia of Antioch, the treasurer of the Contra Costa Republican Party, said she is focused on Noem's message of listening to different views to create “higher laws and higher government.”

“She had a great message,” Neitte-Garcia said. “Be less divisive and more able to communicate with one another.”

Although the Bay Area has voted Democratic in the past, Garcia said Contra Costa conservatives are “definitely more engaged and love and miss Trump's policies.”

Tickets for the meeting ranged from $300 to $575. The California Republican Party said on its website that at least 1,000 people were expected to attend the convention, which is being held throughout the weekend at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame. In San Mateo County, where the venue is located, only 14.4% of the 435,483 registered voters are Republicans, while 56% are Democrats.

Notably absent from the party conference and from the list of guest speakers was Steve Garvey, the Republican Senate candidate who will face Rep. Adam Schiff in the November runoff election for the open U.S. Senate seat in California.

Pitney said Garvey's absence shows the former baseball star is not serious about his candidacy.

“I think every professional Republican knows that unless something radical happens, they have no chance in the Senate race,” Pitney said. “And Republicans want to focus on the few races they can win, particularly some House races.”

This news organization contacted Garvey's spokesman Andy Gharakani about the candidate's absence but has not yet received a response.

Republican National Committee co-chairwoman Lara Trump, the former president's daughter-in-law, was scheduled to speak at the dinner Saturday night, capping the conference's second day.

Kimberly Guilfoyle showed an odd sense of timing this week when she announced the discharge of her dog-themed children's book — just as her friends within the Trump campaign grapple with nationwide outrage over revelations from South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem that she shot her misbehaving dog, Cricket, and buried the puppy in a gravel pit.

Guilfoyle, an adviser to Trump's 2020 campaign, presented her book, “The Princess and the Puppy,” on Monday. It incorporates a character named “Princess Kimberly” and her frightened “little puppy” friend. the Daily Beast reported. Guilfoyle's self-description “Pro-God, Pro-America” Publisher said that the book tells the story of a “sweet and caring” princess who’s “afraid of almost everything” until she “meets a little puppy who is also afraid.”

Guilfoyle, the fiancée of Trump's eldest son Don Jr., said on X (formerly Twitter) that her book's “heartfelt story” “teaches children that it's easier to be brave when you have a friend by your side.” She also said that 10% of all proceeds go to Furry Friends Adoption, Clinic and Ranch, a non-profit organization based in Jupiter, Florida, that operates a no-kill shelter and rescue of abandoned dogs and cats.

But Guilfoyle's joyful announcement sparked widespread contempt on social media due to Noem's recent revelation in regards to the killing of Cricket, a wirehaired dog who lived on her family's farm in South Dakota, the Daily Beast reported.

Noem is a rising star in Republican politics who was widely viewed as Trump's top alternative for vice presidential nominee, the Daily Beast said. Cricket's murder was detailed in Noem's upcoming memoir, “No Going Back.” as The Guardian first reported. Cricket displayed an “aggressive personality, lacked hunting skills and was “untrainable,” said Noem, who is understood for her combative public demeanor. While Noem revealed that she “hated that dog,” she also portrayed herself as someone strong enough to make the difficult decision to kill the dog herself by leading her to a gravel pit and shooting her.

Noem's revelations sparked widespread outrage in any respect ends of the political spectrum and led pundits to query whether the governor had committed “political suicide” and effectively dropped herself as Trump's running mate. the Daily Beast reported.

Paws Animal Rescue, a South Dakota-based animal rescue group, also released a press release that didn’t comment on Noem's specific situation, but said it had “never met a dog so untrainable that it deserved to be treated.” to be shot.” Daily Beast said in one other report.

Noem's revelations also led to people replying to Guilfoyle's X account not having the ability to help but link the 2 women's dog stories together.

“Send a signed copy to @GovKristiNoem?” one X user wrote in response to the book announcement from the previous first lady of San Francisco and ex-wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom. “Dedicate it to cricket,” the X user also said.

Another asked if her children's book ended “with the puppy in a gravel pit.” A 3rd wondered if the work was a “remake of 'The Governor Shot Her Pup'”?

And a fourth said: “Perfect timing Kimmy! Now you can write a sequel called “The Princess, Her Puppy, and the Visit to Farmer Kristi’s Gravel Pit.”

Even amid the outrage over Cricket's death, Noem has defended her actions and tried to view the killing as an indication of her ability to make difficult decisions, the Daily Beast said. On Sunday, she said she could understand “why some people are upset.” She wrote on X: “As I explained in the book, it wasn’t easy,” she wrote. “But often the easy way is not the right way.”

But The Daily Beast also reported that Noem's “graphic and shocking” description of Cricket's murder was poorly received by many, “including those in Trumpworld.”

Associates near the previous president “are fixated on the ads that would run if she were involved anywhere in President Trump's campaign,” the Daily Beast said. One Trump aide said: “I mean, this thing is devastating. There's nothing more popular in politics than dogs, and he or she killed one – and he or she continues to discuss it… That's what's astounding and shows uncontrolled judgment.”