 "US Vice President Kamala Harris (right) called for disqualification of former US President Donald Trump (left) over his violent rhetoric against former congresswoman Liz Cheney (centre). AP")
With just a few days ahead of the US presidential elections, Vice President Kamala Harris called for the disqualification of former President Donald Trump after the Republican nominee pushed violent rhetoric against ex-congresswoman Liz Cheney. While holding a rally in Arizona on Thursday, Trump was asked for his take on Cheney’s endorsement of Harris.
The former president called Cheney “a deranged person” and added: “But the reason she couldn’t stand me is that she always wanted to go to war with people. If it were up to her we’d be in 50 different countries.” He went on to call her a “war hawk” and alluded to guns pointing at her face.
“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. When the guns are trained on her face," the former president continued. Both Liz and her father ex-Vice President Dick Cheney, have been ardent critics of Republicans’ support for Trump. Earlier this year, the two conservative politicians announced their endorsement of Harris.
Harris slams Trump
On Friday, the Democratic presidential nominee slammed Trump for his violent rhetoric and called for his disqualification. Harris told reporters at the airport in Madison that she had not talked with Cheney since Trump’s comments.
“He has increased his violent rhetoric, Donald Trump has, about political opponents and in great detail suggested rifles should be trained on former Representative Liz Cheney. This must be disqualifying," the Vice President said, describing Cheney as “courageous” and “incredible American”.
“I will tell you, I know Liz Cheney well enough to know that she is tough, she is incredibly courageous and has shown herself to be a true patriot at a very difficult time in our country,” she exclaimed.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“We see this kind of rhetoric that is violent in nature, where we see this kind of spirit coming from Donald Trump that is so laden with the desire for revenge and retribution … I think that Liz Cheney is courageous and that we will always make sure that we are all fighting against and speaking out against any form of political violence,” the Vice President furthered.
Trump doubles down on his criticism
Despite facing backlash, Trump reiterated his criticisms against Cheney. While addressing the Michigan rally, the former president called Cheney a “war hawk”. He went on to slam former Vice President Dick Cheney for being responsible for massive losses of life across the Middle East when he was in office with ex-President George W. Bush.
In his first term, Trump recalled that Cheney was always telling him, “We should attack this nation, that nation, nations that people have never even heard of we should attack…but if you give Liz Cheney a gun and put her into battle facing the other side with guns facing at her, she wouldn’t have the courage or the strength…to even look the enemy in the eye. ‘Oh, we ought to go attack Iran, Iraq, everybody.’ That’s why I broke up with her. All she wanted to do was to go to war with everybody…”
The former congresswoman from Wyoming has vocally opposed Trump since the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. Meanwhile, on Friday, Trump and Harris are scheduled to hold duelling rallies in the Milwaukee area as part of a final push for votes in swing-state Wisconsin. It is pertinent to note that Milwaukee is home to the most Democratic votes in Wisconsin, but its conservative suburbs are where most Republicans live and are a critical area for Trump.