GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump used startingly violent imagery — even for him — while talking about Republican former Congresswoman Liz Cheney during an interview with former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson.
With language that was swiftly condemned by his opponents — a group already alarmed by Trump’s frequent threats to pursue retribution against his political enemies — Trump said of Cheney: “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with 9 barrels shooting at her. Let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face.”
This morning Cheney responded, characterizing Trump’s description unambiguously as a death threat and slamming the GOP standard-bearer as a “petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant.”
This is how dictators destroy free nations. They threaten those who speak against them with death. We cannot entrust our country and our freedom to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant. #Womenwillnotbesilenced #VoteKamala https://t.co/URH5s929Sa
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) November 1, 2024
Making it clear she viewed Trump’s words as a death threat, Cheney wrote: “This is how dictators destroy free nations. They threaten those who speak against them with death.”
Democratic activist Scott Dworkin identified Trump’s remarks as a description of a firing squad, sharing his take with his one million X followers.
Trump is threatening Liz Cheney with firing squads and y’all in corporate media are covering garbage propaganda. Do your damn jobs.
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) November 1, 2024
In other comments, MAGA defenders of the former President’s remarks assert that his intent was to Cheney’s alleged “war hawk” stance — Trump’s characterization — as insufficiently backed up by her own personal risk. Responding, one MAGA account with a million followers doubled down on Trump’s threats to prosecute his political enemies, writing that Cheney faces “jail time in her future.”
Liz Cheney is panicking! She knows jail time is in her future.
— Gunther Eagleman (@GuntherEagleman) November 1, 2024
Another popular X user who stands across the aisle from Cheney politically nevertheless wrote to express admiration for the former Congresswoman’s bravery in light of Trump’s threats.
I mostly disagree with you on political issues, but you are a damn brave woman, @Liz_Cheney. I give you my greatest respect for both your work on the January 6 Committee and your support of Kamala Harris — and so should all Americans, IMHO.
— Andrea Junker (@Strandjunker) November 1, 2024