Trump returns to violent rhetoric, suggesting ‘nine barrels shooting’ at Cheney
Former GOP Representative Liz Cheney cautioned that Donald Trump is an “unstable man who wants to be a tyrant.”
TroibNews 
Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump's comments on Thursday suggesting that former Rep. Liz Cheney should stand "with nine barrels shooting at her" introduced a threatening tone into the final days of the presidential race, intensifying backlash against the former president’s increasingly violent rhetoric towards political adversaries.
During a rally in Glendale, Arizona, Trump labeled Cheney a “radical war hawk” and expressed a desire to see her confronted by multiple guns aimed at her. “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK?” he remarked. “And let’s see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face.”
In defense of Trump’s comments, campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump was “clearly explaining that warmongers like Liz Cheney are very quick to start wars and send other Americans to fight them, rather than go into combat themselves.” His choice of words painted a vivid picture of a critic facing a violent threat, marking yet another incident in which the GOP nominee implied aggression towards a political opponent.
Cheney, who was previously part of the GOP House leadership and lost her congressional seat due to her outspoken criticism of Trump, responded on Friday by warning that Donald Trump is an “unstable man who wants to be a tyrant.” She noted, “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.”
Reactions to Trump’s statements poured in on Friday, highlighting a contentious final full week of the presidential race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. This week began with a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden that featured offensive, racially charged, and sexist language, which especially outraged the Puerto Rican community.
Shortly after the MSG rally, President Joe Biden made headlines with a gaffe in which he referred to Trump’s supporters as “garbage,” forcing the White House to manage the fallout and prompting both Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, to distance themselves from the comments.
However, Trump’s imagery of Cheney in the line of fire is likely to provoke a different level of controversy, raising concerns among some voters and evoking memories of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot that followed another Trump speech rife with violent remarks, which singled out Cheney.
The conflict between Trump and Cheney reached a boiling point after the Capitol riot and her position on the Congressional committee investigating it. Now, Cheney is positioned as a surrogate for Harris, appealing to anti-Trump Republicans in swing states—a crucial voter demographic for securing an electoral college win.
In an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Harris spokesperson Ian Sams drew a stark contrast between Trump’s vengeful message and Harris’ promise to include a Republican in her cabinet. “This is the difference in this race,” he noted, emphasizing that Trump “will sit in the Oval Office stewing over his enemies list.”
“He spent the last month talking about the enemy from within the United States,” Sams added, “and now, he's going after Liz Cheney with this dangerous, violent rhetoric.”
Former Trump aide Alyssa Farah Griffin urged Republican lawmakers to denounce Trump’s words, labeling them “unpresidential" and "reckless."
“It’s unconscionable,” she stated on CNN. “I don’t know how Republican leaders, many of whom served with Liz Cheney and at one point considered her a colleague and friend, cannot denounce this. It’s dangerous; it’s escalatory.”
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
During a rally in Glendale, Arizona, Trump labeled Cheney a “radical war hawk” and expressed a desire to see her confronted by multiple guns aimed at her. “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK?” he remarked. “And let’s see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face.”
In defense of Trump’s comments, campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump was “clearly explaining that warmongers like Liz Cheney are very quick to start wars and send other Americans to fight them, rather than go into combat themselves.” His choice of words painted a vivid picture of a critic facing a violent threat, marking yet another incident in which the GOP nominee implied aggression towards a political opponent.
Cheney, who was previously part of the GOP House leadership and lost her congressional seat due to her outspoken criticism of Trump, responded on Friday by warning that Donald Trump is an “unstable man who wants to be a tyrant.” She noted, “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.”
Reactions to Trump’s statements poured in on Friday, highlighting a contentious final full week of the presidential race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. This week began with a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden that featured offensive, racially charged, and sexist language, which especially outraged the Puerto Rican community.
Shortly after the MSG rally, President Joe Biden made headlines with a gaffe in which he referred to Trump’s supporters as “garbage,” forcing the White House to manage the fallout and prompting both Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, to distance themselves from the comments.
However, Trump’s imagery of Cheney in the line of fire is likely to provoke a different level of controversy, raising concerns among some voters and evoking memories of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot that followed another Trump speech rife with violent remarks, which singled out Cheney.
The conflict between Trump and Cheney reached a boiling point after the Capitol riot and her position on the Congressional committee investigating it. Now, Cheney is positioned as a surrogate for Harris, appealing to anti-Trump Republicans in swing states—a crucial voter demographic for securing an electoral college win.
In an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Harris spokesperson Ian Sams drew a stark contrast between Trump’s vengeful message and Harris’ promise to include a Republican in her cabinet. “This is the difference in this race,” he noted, emphasizing that Trump “will sit in the Oval Office stewing over his enemies list.”
“He spent the last month talking about the enemy from within the United States,” Sams added, “and now, he's going after Liz Cheney with this dangerous, violent rhetoric.”
Former Trump aide Alyssa Farah Griffin urged Republican lawmakers to denounce Trump’s words, labeling them “unpresidential" and "reckless."
“It’s unconscionable,” she stated on CNN. “I don’t know how Republican leaders, many of whom served with Liz Cheney and at one point considered her a colleague and friend, cannot denounce this. It’s dangerous; it’s escalatory.”
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
