The Trump campaign fiercely defended former President Donald Trump on Friday morning, accusing multiple media outlets of spreading “fake news” after they reported that Trump called for Liz Cheney, a former congresswoman and supporter of Kamala Harris, to be “fired upon.”
The controversy erupted following Trump’s remarks during an event in Glendale, Arizona, where he was speaking with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Trump criticized Cheney, labeling her a “radical war hawk” who made decisions about military engagement while “sitting in Washington in a nice building,” suggesting that she had a propensity for advocating war.
In a striking analogy, Trump stated, “Let’s put her with a rifle, standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, okay? Let’s see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face.” His comments were met with outrage from various media outlets and political opponents.
Cheney quickly responded to the backlash, equating Trump’s words to those of a dictator. She accused him of issuing a death threat, stating, “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.” She added the hashtags #WomenWillNotBeSilenced and #VoteKamala to her post on X.
CNN’s Kasie Hunt reported on Trump’s comments, suggesting that he was escalating his “violent rhetoric” towards one of his most vocal critics. “Of course, violent rhetoric is not new for Trump,” Hunt noted, but emphasized that the imagery he used represented a significant escalation at a time when the nation is particularly tense.
Major news outlets picked up on the story, with Reuters headlining, “Trump suggests Liz Cheney should face firing squad for her foreign policy stance.” ABC News echoed this sentiment, reporting that Trump appeared to advocate for a “firing squad” due to Cheney’s stance as a “war hawk.” The Drudge Report sensationally declared, “TRUMP CALLS FOR CHENEY’S EXECUTION.”
The Harris campaign also weighed in, issuing a statement that referenced Trump’s late-night comments and the potential implications of his rhetoric.
In response, Trump campaign Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the media for misrepresenting Trump’s statements. “Every FAKE NEWS reporter is taking President Trump’s remarks out of context,” she asserted. Leavitt explained that Trump was simply pointing out that warmongers like Cheney are quick to advocate for military conflict without putting themselves in harm’s way.
?To every FAKE NEWS reporter taking President Trump’s words out of context:
President 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.pic.twitter.com/UlHvKszEIY
— Karoline Leavitt (@kleavittnh) November 1, 2024
The Trump campaign further claimed that even some left-leaning critics were debunking what they called a “hoax” concocted by Democratic operatives and their allies in the media.
Political commentators across the spectrum also condemned the media’s portrayal of Trump’s remarks. Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro labeled the allegations of Trump calling for Cheney’s assassination as a “lie.” Conservative radio host Erick Erickson remarked, “A dumb remark by Trump, but fully mischaracterized by the reporters covering for Biden,” referencing the tendency of some media to misinterpret or sensationalize political rhetoric.
This incident underscores the ongoing tensions between Trump and his critics, as well as the heightened scrutiny faced by public figures in a polarized political climate.