Donald Trump has spent years getting away with saying just about anything on a stage, with his more unhinged asides being toned down through major media outlets' "sanewashing."
His recent comments about former congresswoman Liz Cheney facing "nine barrels shooting at her" may have broken out of that familiar pattern, however. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is investigating whether Trump's statements at a Phoenix rally violated state laws against death threats.
The Democrat AG said Trump's remarks were "deeply troubling" in an interview with local outlet 12News.
“I have already asked my criminal division chief to start looking at that statement, analyzing it for whether it qualifies as a death threat under Arizona’s laws,” Mayes said.
Trump was criticizing Cheney's reputation as a "war hawk" during his Thursday chat with Sean Hannity.
“The reason she couldn’t stand me is that she always wanted to go to war with people. If it were up to her we’d be in 50 different countries,” Trump said. "Let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face.”
That comment has been denounced by Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday, who said it was another example of extreme rhetoric from the former president and an addition to his growing "enemies list."
In Arizona, Mayes said Trump's violent speech could only exacerbate the tensions in his swing state.
“It is the kind of thing that riles people up, and that makes our situation in Arizona and other states more dangerous,” he said.
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