Harris says Trump's rifle comments about Liz Cheney are 'disqualifying'

Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday called former President Trump's rifle remarks about Liz Cheney "disqualifying," accusing him of increasing his "violent rhetoric."

"He has increased his violent rhetoric about political opponents - Donald Trump has - and in great detail suggested rifles should be trained on former Rep. Liz Cheney," Harris told reporters at a presser after getting off Air Force Two in Wisconsin. "This must be disqualifying. 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."

She called Cheney, who has endorsed Harris and has been campaigning with her, a "true patriot who has shown extraordinary courage in putting country above party. Trump is increasingly, however, someone who considers his political opponents the enemy, is permanently out for revenge and is increasingly unstable and unhinged." 

In calling Cheney a "radical war hawk" at an event in Arizona on Thursday, Trump said: "Let's put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK? 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 saying, 'Oh, gee, well, let's send 10,000 troops into the mouths of the enemies,' but she's a stupid person and I used to have meetings with a lot of people and she always wanted to go to war with people." 

TRUMP CRITICISM OF LIZ CHENEY AS 'RADICAL WAR HAWK' FRAMED AS CALL FOR VIOLENCE BY 'IRRESPONSIBLE' MEDIA

Trump's comments immediately drew a backlash on the left, with some clips online not playing the full context of what he was saying. 

Harris told a reporter who asked if she was concerned about Cheney's safety that she hadn't talked to the former Wyoming congresswoman since Trump's comment was made, "but I know Liz Cheney well enough to know she is tough, she is courageous and has shown herself to be a true patriot at a very difficult time in our country where, to your point, we see this kind of rhetoric that is violent in nature, where we see this kind of spirit coming through with Donald Trump that is so ladened with the desire for revenge and retribution."