Scoop: Kristi Noem angled for top NRA job

• Late last fall, Noem called LaPierre to advocate to be the next executive vice president or CEO of the gun lobby.
• Noem is now in a heated PR cycle over passages in her book about shooting her dog and meeting with Kim Jong Un.

The big picture: Noem has long been aligned with the NRA, signing an executive order during its annual conference last year.

• Her name came up in very senior NRA circles immediately after LaPierre resigned in January, according to a source familiar.
• LaPierre has little official control over who will be tapped as his successor, but the 76-person board, stocked with many people he nominated, will vote to determine who obtains the position.

Zoom in: Noem was previously seen as a potential contender to be Trump's running mate. She has vehemently defended her decision to shoot her dog, Cricket, arguing the 14-month-old animal was dangerous and untrainable.

• When pressed on the supposed Kim Jong Un meeting, Noem refused to provide a definitive answer but said the book would be changed.

The other side: A spokesperson for Noem "unequivocally" denied that the governor had a conversation with LaPierre.

• "She loves her job as Governor of South Dakota," Ian Fury told Axios.
• LaPierre, through his lawyer Kent Correll, declined to comment.

Axios has reached out to the NRA for comment.