Who needs dolls and toys? In South Dakota, Governor Kristi Noem's 2-year-old granddaughter is the proud owner of multiple guns.
Noem made the revelation Friday during a speech to the National Rifle Association in Indiana.
"Now Addie -- who, you know, soon will need them -- I want to reassure you, she already has a shotgun and she already has a rifle and she's got a little pony named Sparkles, too," Noem said of her granddaughter. "So the girl is set up."
A video of Noem's comments has gone viral on social media, sparking a number of negative comments.
"Absolutely sickening," Tennessee Democrat Chris D. Jackson tweeted. "How the hell is this real life in America?"
One commenter simply wrote: "Call CPS." Another said: "I hope parents of potential playdate kids see this."
Another person commented: "We really don't need a repeat of this headline," with a news story about a 3-year-old boy who fatally shot himself with a handgun.
Another person tweeted: "South Dakota sounds terrifying."
At the same time, Noem received some support from people who didn't see anything wrong with a toddler owning a gun.
"Teaching responsible and safe gun ownership. Nothing wrong here," one person wrote.
Another commented: "Noem's kid will likely be a responsible gun owner bc he will grow up with an acute gun saftey [sic] awareness and experienced supervision."
While Noem didn't respond to any of the comments, she did share a clip Monday from her speech at the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action Leadership Forum, saying: "South Dakota is thriving because we are the Freest state in America. And we have made South Dakota the most 2nd Amendment-friendly state in America."
During the forum, Noem also signed an Executive Order "to protect the 2nd Amendment rights of South Dakotans," which prohibits government agencies from contracting with large banks that discriminate against firearm-related entities.
"It's not just the media and big government that are attacking our rights. Now, we have seen banking institutions go after law-abiding gun owners," she said. "Well, not on my watch. I won't stand for it, not in South Dakota."
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