The French government is contesting portions of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s book describing her canceled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The book, which has already had parts removed over unconfirmed claims that the Republican governor met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was scheduled last year after Mr Nom and Mr Macron allegedly made “pro-Hamas” remarks. The talks that had been scheduled have been cancelled.
“While in Paris, I was scheduled to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron,” Noem wrote in her book, No Going Back.. ” “But the day before we met, he made comments to the press that seemed very pro-Hamas and anti-Israel, so I decided to cancel.”
A representative for the Elysée Palace disputed Noem’s account, saying there was no record of the meeting being scheduled and that she had not received an invitation.
Asked for comment on Friday, Noem’s spokesperson said: “The governor was invited to sit in President Macron’s box at the Armistice Day parade at the Arc de Triomphe.”
“In response to Mr. Macron’s anti-Israel comments, she chose to cancel,” the governor’s communications director, Ian Furey, said in a statement, adding that Mr. Macron also “did not attend in the end.”
Noem was in Paris in November 2023 to speak at the Worldwide Freedom Initiative conference.
She did not specify in her book what Macron’s comments were.Asked for details, Noem’s office on Friday pointed to Macron’s remarks. He called on Israel to stop bombing Gaza and called for a ceasefire. President Macron also condemned Hamas and the October 7 attack on Israel, recognizing “Israel’s right to defend itself and to react.”
The disputed statement is the latest in a series of controversies sparked by Noem’s book.
The two-term governor, who is considered former President Donald Trump’s running mate, wrote that he had met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but later said he “should not have put that anecdote in the book.” Ta. Her publisher said the text would be removed, but Noem deflected her answer in the interview whether she had actually met Kim.
She also described in her book how she shot and killed her family’s 14-month-old dog. Noem has repeatedly defended her actions, citing the dog’s aggressiveness and pointing out that it was a “working dog” and “not a puppy.”
President Trump responded to the backlash against Noem in an interview this week.
“She’s had a tough few days,” he told Spectrum News 1 in Wisconsin. That’s what I say.
