In a dramatic display of partisan defenses, GOP strategist Brad Todd attempted to explain away Donald Trump’s recent inflammatory remarks about Liz Cheney, which implied her facing down “guns trained on her face.” Trump made these comments during an appearance in Glendale, Arizona, with Tucker Carlson, where he criticized prominent figures including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Liz Cheney, one of his foremost Republican critics.
Trump’s controversial words came as he labeled Cheney a “radical war hawk” and suggested she experience a taste of combat herself. He stated, “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. Okay, let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face — they’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in a nice building.”
On CNN’s “This Morning,” Todd struggled to defend the former president, explaining that Trump’s comments were meant to criticize Cheney’s stance on foreign policy. “He was talking about their difference on foreign policy,” Todd claimed, adding that Trump was hypothetically placing Cheney in the position of facing combat to highlight her hawkish approach. Todd went further, likening Trump’s critique to ones Democrats have historically made about Cheney’s father, former Vice President Dick Cheney.
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Despite the spirited defense, host Kasie Hunt expressed doubt. Todd continued, conceding that Trump’s statements could cost him in the polls but asserting that they might not harm him enough to derail his lead. “He’s ahead in every target state this morning,” Todd noted, referencing a New York Times poll. “He’d be ahead by six or seven [points] if he didn’t do that, if he was talking about the economy this week… despite the way he talks, he’s about to win.”
Trump’s unfiltered commentary, whether seen as blunt or divisive, appears to be resonating with his base as dissatisfaction with the current administration mounts. Todd’s comments underscore how deeply Trump’s approach to rhetoric, for better or worse, remains a defining factor in his campaign trajectory. As the race tightens, Trump’s language could either galvanize his support or, as some suggest, diminish his potential lead.
