Kacey Musgraves answered Kristi Noem’s country-music criticism with a reference to the politician’s own account of killing her dog. Their exchange unfolded on X on Oct. 12.
“I don’t think you have a dog in this fight but if you did you would have shot it,” Musgraves wrote, quoting Noem’s post, according to Us Weekly.
Noem had shared a screenshot of a post from James Talarico featuring the Texas Senate candidate with Musgraves. The two had met during the singer’s concert weekend in Dallas.
Musgraves was on the Texas stretch of her Middle of Nowhere tour, named after the album she released in May. The home-state run included performances in Houston, Austin and Dallas.
Noem Paired Her Ella Langley Preference With an Endorsement of Ken Paxton
I don’t think you have a dog in this fight but if you did you would have shot it.
K A C E Y (@KaceyMusgraves) October 12, 2026
“I’ll take @ellalangleymsic over Kacey Musgraves any day,” Noem wrote. “And if I’m choosin’ Texas, I’ll take Ken Paxton over James Talarico.”
Her wording borrowed from the title of Langley’s hit “Choosin’ Texas.” Paxton is Talarico’s Republican opponent in the U.S. Senate race; Talarico is the Democratic nominee.
Rolling Stone reported that Langley appeared to have untagged herself from Noem’s post. The publication did not report a statement from Langley explaining the change or expressing a preference between the candidates.
Noem Described Killing Cricket in Her 2024 Memoir
In No Going Back, Noem wrote about shooting Cricket, a 14-month-old wirehaired pointer she had been training as a hunting dog. The account became public when excerpts appeared before the book’s release.
Noem said Cricket disrupted a hunt and later attacked another family’s chickens. She described the dog as dangerous and defended her decision after the disclosure drew criticism, Reuters reported in April 2024.
“We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm,” Noem wrote at the time. PETA criticized her for killing Cricket rather than pursuing training or finding another home for the dog.
Talarico Attended the First of Musgraves’ Two Dallas Shows
Talarico was at the American Airlines Center on Oct. 10, the first night of Musgraves’ weekend engagement there. He posted photographs afterward, including one showing the singer taking a selfie with him.
“Thank you for having me last night, Kacey Musgraves!” he wrote. The appearance came as he resumed public campaigning after an absence his campaign attributed to the flu, according to D Magazine.
The following night, Musgraves welcomed the Mariachi Brothers for a set that included “Tú solo tú,” “Lo Hice a mi Manera” and her own “Uncertain, TX.” The McAllen siblings had previously opened her three New Braunfels shows after their family’s release from immigration detention, the magazine reported.
Days earlier, at her Oct. 8 Austin concert, Musgraves acknowledged that audience members might disagree with some of her views. She said the causes she supported and the positions she took reflected convictions she held personally, Chron reported.
“At the end of the day, I just want to bring people together,” she told the audience.