Former President Donald Trump speaks with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson in Glendale, Ariz., on Oct. 31, 2024.
Patrick Fallon/AFP
Former President Donald Trump lashed out against former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney in Arizona on Thursday, using violent language and insults to describe the most prominent Republican supporter of his opponent, Vice President Harris.
During an onstage conversation with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson in Glendale, Ariz., Trump launched into a meandering diatribe against Cheney, who was one of only two Republicans on the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 riot.
Trump said Cheney was a “radical war hawk” who wanted to keep American troops in Iraq and Syria, which he said took the lives of too many young Americans and was too expensive.
“Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her,” Trump said to Carlson. “Let’s see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face.”
“You know they’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in a nice building saying, ‘Oh, gee, let’s send 10,000 troops right into the mouth of the enemy.'”
On Friday, Cheney said Trump’s comments demonstrate why she is supporting Harris instead of him.
Trump has frequently talked about revenge and grievances on the campaign trail, describing domestic opponents as “the enemy from within” and suggesting that the military could step in to handle disruptions from his political opponents.
He has previously said that Cheney was guilty of treason and should be put in jail.
Cheney has been campaigning with Harris because she said she believes Trump is a danger to the country and does not believe in conservative principles.
Harris’ campaign quickly highlighted Trump’s remarks on Thursday — and Trump’s campaign was also quick to call the controversy over them a “hoax.”
During his long and meandering answer to Carlson, Trump also heaped scorn on his former national security adviser John Bolton for his trademark moustache. Bolton has said he will not support Trump in this election, though he has not endorsed Harris.
