Trump Urges ‘War Hawk’ Liz Cheney to Face Gunfire, Marking Intensification of Hostile Rhetoric Against Rivals

At a campaign event in Arizona, former President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against notable party critic, ex-Rep. Liz Cheney, referring to her as a “war hawk” who “should be fired upon.” Speaking in Glendale alongside former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Trump provocatively remarked, “Put her with a rifle, nine barrels aiming at her,” and questioned how she would feel “with guns pointed at her face.”

The former president launched further insults at Cheney, who previously held a top position in House Republican leadership, calling her “very dumb,” “a stupid person,” and “the moron.”

This instance marks a new level in Trump’s pattern of aggressive language aimed at his political adversaries, occurring just days before an election. Trump, who has yet to accept the results of the 2020 election, has recently suggested deploying military tactics against those he labels “the enemy within.”

Cheney has been one of Trump’s strongest critics within the Republican Party, denouncing his attempts to reverse the 2020 election results and highlighting his role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Her active participation in the House select committee’s investigation into the attack cost her Wyoming House seat, as a Trump-supported primary candidate won in 2022.

Cheney responded to Trump’s latest remarks, warning, “This is how dictators destroy free nations.” Posting on X, she added, “They silence dissent with threats. We must not allow someone who seeks to be a tyrant to control our nation and our freedoms.”

Recently, Cheney has appeared at events with Vice President Kamala Harris, calling for bipartisan unity to oppose Trump, whom she describes as a danger to democracy. Trump commented on this alliance, noting his surprise that her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, supported Harris despite Trump’s pardon of his former chief of staff, Scooter Libby, who was convicted of perjury in 2007. “I understand he’s backing his daughter,” Trump remarked, “but she’s not very smart.”

Continuing, Trump referred to Cheney as “a stupid person” who “always pushed for war” during her time in House Republican leadership. “They’re all war hawks in their comfortable D.C. offices, sending troops into danger,” he said.

Trump’s confrontational language is not new; it dates back to his initial presidential campaign in 2015-2016, when he advocated “roughing up” hecklers and suggested he would like to punch one in the face. Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper later claimed in his memoir that Trump had once floated the idea of shooting protestors in the leg during demonstrations near the White House after George Floyd’s death.

Launching his 2024 bid, Trump told a gathering at the Conservative Political Action Conference, “I am your retribution.” At another rally in Waco, Texas, he declared the 2024 election would be “the final battle,” while characterizing those convicted in relation to the Capitol riot as “hostages.”

Harris has recently highlighted Trump’s rhetoric, cautioning that he intends to use the U.S. military against dissenters. At a speech on the Ellipse in Washington, Harris criticized Trump’s approach, calling him “unstable” and “obsessed with revenge” while aiming to connect with moderate Republicans and independents.