Warning: This article contains discussion of animal cruelty which some readers may find distressing.
Vice President JD Vance found himself in a tight spot during a new interview where he stated that only ‘terrible’ people mistreat dogs. This comment became contentious due to his cabinet colleague Kristi Noem’s past admission of similar behavior.
Vance made this statement while appearing on the Pod Force One podcast. During his conversation with host Miranda Devine, they touched on a range of topics from President Donald Trump to UFOs.
The discussion shifted to the controversy surrounding Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. Concerns were raised after viewers noticed his dog yelping during a livestream. Speculation arose that the dog was wearing a shock collar, a claim Piker denied, explaining: “She yelped because she f**king clipped herself on something when she was getting off the bed.”
Amidst the conversation, Devine questioned Vance about what mistreating a dog might indicate about its owner.
Vance expressed his opinion, responding: “I think it tells you that they’re bad people.”
He elaborated: “If you can actually cause suffering to an innocent animal, you’re probably the kind of person who doesn’t worry about suffering in people as well and that’s been my experience. If you mistreat dogs, that’s a 100 percent sign that you’re gonna be a really terrible person.”
Vance, who owns a German shepherd named Atlas, even referenced serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer while discussing animal abuse.
He noted: “That’s one of the ways to really, sort of, test people… If Atlas responds well to them, if they like Atlas, we know they’re good people but, you can tell if somebody is really mean to animals. You know, it’s like the Jeffrey Dahmer thing. Like every serial killer ever has actually been really bad to animals, that’s sort of how they started. I remember the Freddy Krueger movies when I was a kid… Well, how did Freddy Krueger [get] his start? One of the things they show is young Freddy Krueger torturing animals…
“If you’re not taking care of God’s creatures then you are certainly going to be, I think, a pretty bad person in other ways too.”
After the interview’s release, Piker was among those who pointed out that one of Vance’s colleagues, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, admitted to shooting her own family dog, Cricket.
In her 2024 memoir, No Going Back, Noem detailed a hunting trip with the family dog, who later attacked some chickens.
“I hated that dog,” Noem wrote, adding: “At that moment. I realised I had to put her down.”
Noem’s revelation received backlash from animal advocates, and Piker referenced this incident in response to Vance’s comments by stating: “DHS secretary kristi noem point blank executed her puppy.”
UNILAD has reached out to Vance for comment.