Trump says 'War Hawk' Liz Cheney should have 'guns pointed at her face'

Former US President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of Liz Cheney late Thursday night, calling the former Wyoming congresswoman a “war hawk” and questioning her commitment to sending troops into combat.

His comments came during an event in Glendale, Arizona, where Trump was joined by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

In response to a question about Cheney's ongoing campaign against him, Trump replied: “She's a deranged person.”

He suggested that if Cheney had his way, the U.S. would be embroiled in conflicts in multiple countries. “If she had her way, we would be in 50 different countries,” Trump claimed.

What did Trump say about Liz Cheney?

Trump continued his criticism, describing Cheney as “a very stupid person” and emphasizing his view that she advocates military action without any experience of her own.

He said: “She is a radical war hawk. Let's position it so that the rifle is standing there and nine barrels are firing at it. Okay, let's see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are pointed at their faces.”

Trump described the discussion as a criticism of politicians who advocate military intervention from the safety of Washington, DC

He added: “You know they're all war hawks when they sit in a nice building in Washington and say, Oh man, let's send 10,000 troops straight into the jaws of the enemy.”

Is Liz Cheney a Republican or Democrat?

Cheney has been a vocal opponent of Trump since the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and has aligned herself with Trump's Democratic opponents, particularly Vice President Kamala Harris.

Following Trump's comments, Harris' campaign and various critics on social media seized on his comments, suggesting that they underscored a disconnect between Trump's rhetoric and the reality of war.

In response to the backlash, Trump's campaign clarified that the former president criticized Cheney's willingness to send American troops into combat despite never having served in the military himself.

Foreign policy

Earlier this week, Cheney rebuked Ohio Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance for his attacks on former officials who served in Donald Trump's White House.

Among them is John Kelly, Trump's longest-serving White House chief of staff, who told the story The Atlantic And The New York Times that the former president repeatedly praised Adolf Hitler during his tenure in the White House.

Vance responded that Kelly was too interested in the United States becoming involved in foreign conflicts.

But Cheney responded: “What we just saw is what it looks like when someone has to go through incredible contortions to find a way to defend the person who JD Vance himself called America's Hitler.”

The ongoing feud between Trump and Cheney reflects broader divisions within the Republican Party, particularly over foreign policy and military engagement.

This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press.