Cheney slams Trump's violent rhetoric: 'This is how dictators destroy free nations'

Former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney is firing backmost astatine Donald Trump aft nan erstwhile president darkly suggested Cheney beryllium put successful nan statement of occurrence arsenic he criticized her arsenic a "war hawk."

"This is really dictators destruct free nations. They frighten those who speak against them pinch death," Cheney posted Friday connected X. "We cannot entrust our state and our state to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to beryllium a tyrant."

Trump attacked Cheney astatine an arena pinch Tucker Carlson successful battleground Arizona connected Thursday night.

"She's a extremist warfare hawk," Trump said of nan erstwhile Wyoming congresswoman arsenic he went aft her and her father, erstwhile Vice President Dick Cheney.

"Let's put her pinch a firearm opinionated location pinch 9 barrels shooting astatine her, okay?" Trump said. "Let's spot really she feels astir it, you know, erstwhile nan guns are trained connected her face."

Trump continued, "You know, they're each warfare hawks erstwhile they're sitting successful Washington successful a bully building saying, 'Oh, gee, well, let's nonstop a -- let's nonstop 10,000 troops correct into nan rima of nan enemy.'"

Former President and Republican statesmanlike campaigner Donald Trump successful Cumming, Georgia, Oct. 15, 2024, and erstwhile Representative Liz Cheney successful Malvern, Pa., Oct. 21, 2024.

Elijah Nouvelagebrendan Smialows/AFP via Getty Images

The Harris run called Trump saying "nine barrels" a reference to a accepted nine-gun "firing squad."

Cheney, a Republican but a vocal professional of Trump complete his behaviour aft nan 2020 predetermination and connected Jan. 6, 2021, has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris successful nan 2024 election.

While campaigning alongside Harris, Cheney formed Trump arsenic a threat to populist and nan Constitution.

"We spot it connected a regular basis, personification who was consenting to usage unit successful bid to effort to prehend power, to enactment successful power, personification who represents unrecoverable catastrophe, frankly, successful my view, and we person to do everything imaginable to guarantee that he's not reelected," Cheney told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl connected ABC's "This Week" earlier this autumn aft publically backing Harris.

Trump's remarks against Cheney are nan latest successful a drawstring of increasingly dark and convulsive run rhetoric.

The erstwhile president doubled down connected his "enemy from within" connection aft he previously suggested Democrats are much of a threat to nan U.S. than apical overseas adversaries specified arsenic China and Russia erstwhile it comes to nan 2024 election.

"We do person an force from within," he told Carlson connected Thursday. "We person immoderate very bad people, and those group are besides very dangerous. They would for illustration to return down our country. They'd for illustration to person our state beryllium a bully communist state aliases a fascist successful immoderate measurement they can. And we person to beryllium observant of that."

Former President and Republican statesmanlike campaigner Donald Trump arrives for a unrecorded question and reply pinch Tucker Carlson during nan finale of nan Tucker Carlson Live Tour astatine Desert Diamond Arena successful Glendale, Ariz., Oct. 31, 2024.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Harris run elder advisor Ian Sams responded to Trump's comments during an quality connected MSNBC's "Morning Joe" connected Friday, during which he called nan erstwhile president "all-consumed by his grievances."

"I mean, deliberation astir nan opposition betwixt these 2 candidates," Sams said. "You person Donald Trump who is talking astir sending a salient Republican to nan firing squad, and you person Vice President Harris talking astir sending 1 to her Cabinet. This is nan quality successful this race.”

Karoline Leavitt, Trump's spokesperson, claimed connected Friday Trump's words were being taken retired of context.

"President Trump was CLEARLY explaining that warmongers for illustration Liz Cheney are very speedy to commencement wars and nonstop different Americans to conflict them, alternatively than spell into combat themselves," Leavitt wrote connected X.

ABC News' Lalee Ibssa, Soorin Kim, Kelsey Walsh and Oren Oppenheim contributed to this report.