Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is now investigating whether Donald Trump’s latest comments about former Representative Liz Cheney might constitute a death threat under Arizona law.
Yes, you read that right—a state attorney general is spending taxpayer resources to comb through Trump’s words at a rally, trying to determine if he somehow crossed a criminal line. This isn’t even the first time Democrats have sounded the alarm over Trump’s “rhetoric,” but it might just be the most thinly veiled attempt to criminalize political speech.
They’re investigating Donald Trump based on a completely made up, decrepitly edited clip that was created by democrat party media!
These folks are so dethatched from reality they’ve become a true enemy within.
What’s the red line? https://t.co/c799Q5xvdX
— Dronetek Media (@TheDronetek) November 1, 2024
Let’s get to the core of what happened: During an event with Tucker Carlson, Trump called Cheney a “radical war hawk” and quipped that if she were actually facing gunfire, she might rethink her hawkish stance on military interventions. Was it blunt? Sure. But was it a literal call to violence? Hardly. Trump was using an extreme analogy to point out what many Republicans and even some Democrats have been saying for years—that Cheney, a cheerleader for foreign wars, speaks easily about sending Americans to battlefields without experiencing the risks herself.
But instead of viewing Trump’s remarks as hyperbolic political theater (which, let’s be honest, isn’t exactly rare in American politics), Mayes’ office is attempting to frame them as a “death threat.” This is the same playbook we’ve seen before—make Trump’s comments sound scarier than they actually were, then mobilize the legal apparatus to make headlines. Never mind that actual “death threats” require an intent to cause harm, not just a provocative way of criticizing someone’s political stance. Arizona’s AG appears to be taking a page from the political hit-job handbook, not the criminal code.
I need to make a statement.
This morning on CNN I referred to Trump’s “rifles” quote as him advocating a “firing squad” for Liz Cheney. I was reacting in haste to what were objectively appalling and irresponsible comments that had been framed in the set-up piece in the context…
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) November 1, 2024
What’s more baffling is the double standard. Vice President Kamala Harris was quick to label Trump’s comments “disqualifying,” accusing him of being “unhinged” and “out for revenge.” But this is the same administration that has openly referred to “MAGA Republicans” as the “enemy from within,” “garbage,” “Na**s,” and more.
How many times have we heard Democrats, including high-ranking officials, demonize Trump and his supporters? They’ve repeatedly characterized them as threats to democracy, extremists, and worse. Yet, somehow, it’s Trump’s words that are being scrutinized under a legal microscope.
Look, everyone knows Trump doesn’t mince words. His style has always been in-your-face, and he’s never shied away from using pointed language against his political opponents. But the way Democrats react—especially when they have no issue using similar tactics themselves—reveals the larger game at play. By treating every colorful Trump comment as a potential crime, they’re attempting to label his rhetoric as uniquely dangerous while conveniently ignoring the fact that they engage in the same tactics.
Bill Maher is calling out the lies being spread about Trump’s remarks about Liz Cheney.
“I woke up to the headline ‘Donald Trump had called for a firing squad for Liz Cheney’ This is what I really don’t like about the media.
No he didn’t. Just don’t lie to me.” pic.twitter.com/PPOWe21yKu
— Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) November 2, 2024
At the end of the day, this “investigation” is more about feeding the media machine and keeping Trump on the defensive than it is about any real threat to Liz Cheney. If we start criminalizing political hyperbole, there’s no telling where it stops. But it’s clear that for some, that’s exactly the point.
