WASHINGTON DC, USA – US Vice President Kamala Harris has called former President Donald Trump’s recent comments about Liz Cheney “disqualifying” for the presidency.
Harris was reacting to Trump’s suggestion that Cheney, who has endorsed Harris along with her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, should be placed before a firing squad.
Harris said Trump’s language reflects a disturbing increase in violent rhetoric, especially in the final stretch before Election Day.
“Anyone who wants to be president of the United States who uses that kind of violent rhetoric is clearly disqualified and unqualified to be president,” Harris told reporters ahead of an event in Janesville, Wisconsin on Friday, October 31, 2024.
Harris noted that Trump’s vivid imagery, suggesting Cheney “with a rifle, standing there, with nine barrels shooting at her,” was part of a worrying pattern.
The vice president expressed concern over Trump’s “great detail” in describing the hypothetical scenario, underscoring her belief that his language undermines America’s moral standing.
In response, the Trump campaign claimed critics were taking the remark out of context, saying Trump was merely calling Cheney a “war hawk.”
However, Harris allies swiftly criticised the comments as reckless.
Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, a Republican who has endorsed Harris, described Trump’s intent as “reckless” and harmful.
Donald Trump’s words are calculated and ignorance can no longer be used to excuse his behavior. This is another reckless example of the seeds of anger and chaos he continues to sow. https://t.co/KhLJkbWilv
— Geoff Duncan (@GeoffDuncanGA) November 1, 2024
Harris’s spokesperson, Ian Sams, argued that Trump’s rhetoric continues to repel moderate Republicans, pushing them toward Harris. Speaking to Morning Joe on Friday, Sams noted,
“You have Donald Trump, who’s talking about sending a prominent Republican to the firing squad, and you have Vice President Harris, who’s talking about sending one to her Cabinet.”
In her Wisconsin address later in the afternoon, Harris refrained from directly mentioning the Cheney comment but instead focused on her support for unionised workers and emphasised the broader implications of Trump’s language.
“I have also thought a lot about what this means, in terms of our standing in the world,” she said, reiterating her commitment to a government founded on respect and unity.
As Election Day nears, Harris’s campaign views Trump’s comments as a rallying point for undecided voters and Trump-skeptical Republicans, underscoring Harris’s promise of stability and moral leadership.
