South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) declared that she makes “tough decisions” on Wednesday as she doubled down on her defense of shooting and killing her dog after the story from her upcoming memoir sparked backlash.

“It was a hard decision and the reason it’s in the book is because this book is filled with tough, challenging decisions that I’ve had to make throughout my life,” Noem told Fox News host Sean Hannity.

She continued, “And I hope that people understand from this that what the point of this story is is that most politicians they will run from the truth, they will shy away and hide from making tough decisions. I don’t do either of those. I tell the truth and I make tough decisions.”

Noem — who is reportedly in consideration to be Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate — wrote in her book that her 14-month-old wirehaired pointer named Cricket was “aggressive” and “untrainable” before shooting and killing the canine in a gravel pit, the Guardian reported.

She recently explained that killing one of the working dogs at her ranch wasn’t easy “but often the easy way isn’t the right way.” She has argued that, under South Dakota law, dogs can be put down for attacking and killing livestock.

The governor, following days of jokes and backlash over the story, blamed the “fake news” for putting the “worst spin on it.”

Noem, after Hannity brought up the biting scandal involving President Joe Biden’s dog Commander, described the “dangerous” situation involving Cricket before calling herself a “dog lover.”

“This was a tough situation and very difficult but that’s what happens in rural America many times,” she claimed.