Liz Cheney Responds to Donald Trump Saying Guns Should Be Fired at Her

Liz Cheney described Donald Trump as a "cruel, unstable man" after the former president said that she should have "guns trained on her face."

"This is how dictators destroy free nations," the former Wyoming representative wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "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."

During an event on Thursday, Trump labeled Cheney, a vocal critic of the former president, as a "war hawk" and questioned her commitment to sending troops into combat.

Speaking to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in Glendale, Arizona, the Republican presidential candidate said: "She's a radical war hawk. Let's put her with the rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. OK, let's see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face."

He also suggested that if it were up to Cheney, the United States would be involved in conflicts across "50 different countries."

Trump framed the discussion as a critique of politicians who advocate for military intervention from the safety of Washington, D.C.

"You know they're all war hawks when they're sitting in Washington in a nice building saying, oh gee, well, let's send 10,000 troops right into the mouth of the enemy," Trump said.

Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment outside of regular working hours.

Former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney speaking in Royal Oak, Michigan, in October. She has described Donald Trump as a "vindictive, cruel, unstable man." Former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney speaking in Royal Oak, Michigan, in October. She has described Donald Trump as a "vindictive, cruel, unstable man." Sarah Rice/Getty Images

Trump has repeatedly slammed Cheney, who he has previously said should "go to jail."

Cheney has endorsed Trump's opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, in the presidential election and has appeared with the Democratic nominee at three events in battleground states in recent weeks.

She has urged anti-Trump Republicans to cast their vote for Harris, describing the former president as a threat to democracy.

Cheney's father, former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, said he is also voting for Harris.

In a statement released in September, Cheney, who served as vice president under George W. Bush, said: "In our nation's 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again."

At Thursday's event, Trump said of Dick Cheney: "I don't blame him for sticking with his daughter, but his daughter's a very dumb individual."

The former representative became one of Trump's fiercest critics following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, blaming him for inciting the violence.

She was one of only two Republicans on the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot and supported impeaching Trump over it.

Cheney was elected as Wyoming's representative in 2016 but lost the Republican primary in 2022 to a pro-Trump candidate. She had run on a platform focused on opposing Trump.

Cheney is one of several prominent Republicans who have openly criticized the former president. His other critics include several former officials who served in his White House.

Update 11/01/24, 10:35 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.