A French official called out a passage from Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s new book in which she claimed she had canceled a scheduled meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Noem’s book, “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward,” has been under scrutiny since last month after a review from The Guardian highlighted a story of how the GOP governor shot her dog, Cricket, after she claimed that it had “massacred livestock” and attacked her. Within the most recent passage called to attention, Noem wrote that she allegedly cancelled a meeting with Macron after he made “a very pro-Hamas and anti-Israel comment” to the press. (RELATED: ‘You Need To Stop’: Gov. Noem Snaps At Fox Business Anchor Pushing Her On VP Aspirations)
“While in Paris, I was slated to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron,” Noem wrote in her book. “However, the day before we were to meet he made what I considered a very pro-Hamas and anti-Israel comment to the press. So, I decided to cancel.”
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem attends the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, U.S. February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Marco Bello
However, NBC News reported Friday that an official from the Élysée Palace shot down the passage, stating that not only was there no record of a meeting ever scheduled, but that the invitation to Noem was never extended to her. Noem’s Chief of Communications Ian Fury denied the push back from the official, telling NBC News that “the Governor was invited to sit in President Macron’s box for the Armistice Day Parade at Arc de Triomphe.”
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem walks through the hotel hallway during at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). REUTERS/Octavio Jones
Governor of South Dakota Kristi Noem signs an executive order on stage at the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual meeting held in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Bergin
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem welcomes former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump before he speaks at a South Dakota Republican party rally in Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S. September 8, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
“Following his anti-Israel comments, she chose to cancel,” Fury stated, noting that the French president “did not end up attending, either.”
While Noem’s book didn’t specify the comments made by Macron, she was confirmed to have been in Paris to speak at the Worldwide Freedom Initiative conference in November 2023, the outlet reported.
During the same month, Macron was interviewed by BBC about the Oct. 7 terrorist attack against Israel, stating that there was “no justification” for the country’s retaliation against Hamas as they must stop killing babies and women in Gaza. Macron noted that although Israel has a right to protect itself, he urged country officials to “stop” the “bombing” in Gaza.
Last weekend Noem’s book picked up another wave of criticism after CBS host Margaret Brennan confronted the governor on a claim within her book stating she allegedly met North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. While Noem has since stated that she was making “edits” to the particular passage due to not wanting to talk about “specific meetings with world leaders,” she neither denied or confirmed the meeting but insisted that she has been to Korea’s Demilitarized Zone and met with “many, many world leaders.”