Liberal Journalist Criticizes Media for Misinterpreting Trump’s Comments on Liz Cheney

The campaign supporting Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris is taking every opportunity to cast former President Donald Trump and his supporters in a negative light, even twisting his words to cause the most harm possible.

The latest example involves claims from the Harris campaign and some media outlets suggesting Trump said former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney should be lined up before a “firing squad” and shot.

However, if you listen to Trump’s full remarks, it becomes clear he was actually criticizing Cheney and other Washington insiders for their willingness to send others to war while they remain comfortably at home.

“I don’t blame [former Vice President Dick Cheney] for sticking with his daughter, but his daughter is a very dumb individual. Very dumb, she’s a radical war hawk. Let’s put her with a 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 said. “They’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in the nice buildings saying, ‘Oh gee well, let’s send 10,000 troops right into the mouth of the enemy.’”

In response to these comments, Harris stated that Trump “has increased his violent rhetoric…about political opponents and in great detail suggested rifles should be trained on former Representative Liz Cheney. This must be disqualifying.”

“Representative Cheney is a true patriot who has shown extraordinary courage in putting country above party,” Harris continued. “Trump is increasingly, however, someone who considers his political opponents the enemy, is permanently out for revenge, and is increasingly unstable and unhinged.”

Zack Beauchamp, a reporter from the typically liberal outlet Vox, fact-checked Harris and others while still maintaining his critique of Trump.

“Folks, Trump didn’t threaten to execute Liz Cheney. He actually was calling her a chickenhawk, something liberals said about her for ages. Look at the context — Trump is talking about giving her a weapon. Typically, people put in front of firing squads aren’t armed,” Beauchamp posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Trump does so many offensive things, and makes so many anti-democratic promises, that it’s actually counterproductive to get outraged about fake ones,” he added.

Beauchamp defended his stance further, stating, “It is not ‘defending’ Trump to describe what he said accurately — it is basic intellectual honesty. Telling the truth is how we in the media retain our credibility, especially when we frequently (and rightfully!) criticize Trump.”

In a response to a commenter on X, Beauchamp added, “I agree! It was also legitimately bad when Trump suggested Cheney be put in front of a televised military tribunal. His actual policy proposals for American democracy are even worse. All of which is all the more reason to avoid crying wolf.”

Meanwhile, major media outlets also weighed in. The New York Times ran the headline, “Trump attacks Liz Cheney using violent war imagery.” The Washington Post headline read, “Trump suggests ‘war hawk’ Liz Cheney should have guns ‘trained to her face.’” CNN used the headline, “Trump says ‘war hawk’ Liz Cheney should be fired upon in escalation of violent rhetoric against his opponents.”

“Former President Donald Trump is escalating his violent rhetoric, suggesting one of his most prominent critics, the former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, should be fired upon,” CNN anchor Kasie Hunt stated.

“When he says nine barrels shooting at her, that obviously evokes images of a firing squad. It evokes images of an execution, does it not?” CNN anchor Jim Acosta asked Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett.

Interestingly, even some of Trump’s critics spoke out against the Harris campaign and the media’s portrayal of the remarks.

“Trump did NOT call for Liz Cheney to be executed,” former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh, a Harris supporter, clarified on X. “Look, you know how I feel about Trump, and I’ve been out there every day for 2-3 months campaigning my ass off to help get @KamalaHarris elected, but this short clip is so deceptive. Trump is NOT calling for Liz Cheney to be executed in front of a firing line. He’s not. Listen to the entirety of what he said.”

“He’s an utterly horrible human being who’s utterly unfit for office, but the truth should always matter. And the truth is that Trump is not calling for Liz Cheney to be executed,” Walsh emphasized.

Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks and a frequent critic of Trump, added, “Donald Trump did not call for the execution of Liz Cheney. That is a bald-faced lie. He was making a point about how she is a chickenhawk. But also, Trump shouldn’t talk about guns being ‘trained on her face,’ especially in a time where we’re worried about political violence.”