The former president of the USA Donald Trump intensified his criticism of Liz Cheney late Thursday, labeling the former Wyoming congresswoman a “war hawk” and questioning her commitment to sending troops into battle.

His comments came during an event in Glendale, Arizona, where Trump was joined by an ex Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Asked about Cheney’s ongoing campaign against him, Trump said: “He’s a troubled person.”

He suggested that if it were up to Cheney, the US would be involved in conflicts in more countries. “If it were up to her, we’d be in 50 different countries,” Trump claimed.

What did Trump say about Liz Cheney?

Continuing his criticism, Trump described Cheney as “a very stupid person” and emphasized the view that she promotes military action without first-hand experience.

He said: “He is a radical war hawk. Let’s have her standing shotgun with nine barrels firing at her. OK, let’s see how he feels about it. You know, when guns are pointed in her face.”

Trump framed the discussion as a criticism of politicians advocating military intervention from the safety of Washington, DC

He added: “You know they’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in a nice building saying, oh, come on, let’s send 10,000 troops right into the enemy’s mouth.”

Is Liz Cheney a Republican or a Democrat?

Cheney has been a vocal opponent of Trump since the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol and has aligned himself with Trump’s Democratic opponents, particularly Vice Pres. Kamala Harris.

Following Trump’s remarks, Harris’ campaign and various critics on social media seized on his comments, suggesting they underscored a disconnect between Trump’s rhetoric and the realities of war.

In response to the backlash, Trump’s campaign clarified that the former president criticized Cheney’s willingness to send US troops into battle without ever having served in the military.

Foreign policy

Earlier this week, Cheney twit GOP vice presidential nominee Ohio Sen. JD Vance for his attacks on former officials who served in Donald Trump’s White House.

These include John KellyTrump’s longest-serving White House chief of staff, who said Atlantic and The New York Times that the former president repeatedly praised Adolf Hitler during his tenure in the White House.

Vance responded that Kelly was too eager for the US to be involved in foreign conflicts.

But Cheney responded: “What I just watched is what it looks like when somebody has to go through incredible contortions to try to find a way to defend the person that JD Vance himself named. America’s Hitler.“

The ongoing spat between Trump and Cheney reflects wider divisions within Republican Partyespecially in terms of foreign policy and military engagement.

This article contains additional reporting from the Associated Press.