Donald Trump has suggested that one of his fiercest Republican critics, Liz Cheney , would not be a "radical war hawk" if she were in a war and had a gun "pointed in her face." Arizona Attorney General Chris Mayes said that her office is investigating Trump's remarks about Cheney to determine whether they constitute a death threat under state law, UNN reports, citing BBC and CNN.
Details
"I have already asked the head of my criminal division to begin looking into the statement, analyzing it to see if it qualifies as a death threat under Arizona law," Meyes told Arizona 12 News.
The Arizona Attorney General's office confirmed in a statement to CNN that it is looking into whether Trump's comments about Cheney violate Arizona law.
Context
After Trump's announcement, the controversy continued throughout Friday, and Cheney, a fierce critic of Trump, responded: "This is how dictators destroy free nations.
Kamala Harris said on Friday that the former president's aggressive rhetoric "should be disqualifying." The US vice president added that she had not spoken to Cheney since Trump made the comments, but emphasized that "she is tough and incredibly brave." The White House called the comments "unacceptable" and "dangerous.
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Trump said his comments about Cheney were that "she doesn't have the guts to fight on her own," despite supporting foreign wars, according to a post on Truth Social. At campaign events, including a rally in Michigan, Trump continued to talk about Cheney, calling her a "disgrace.
Addendum
Cheney has been called perhaps the fiercest Republican critic of Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his role in the January 6, 2021, riots by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol.
In recent weeks, Cheney has been campaigning alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, urging Republicans to forget about party differences, support the Democrat, and reject the candidate she believes is a threat to democracy.