The Hoax
Trump Threatened To Kill Liz Cheney At A Tucker Carlson Event
On October 31, 2024, Donald Trump made what appeared to be a violent threat to kill Liz Cheney during a campaign event with Tucker Carlson in Arizona. The media began implying Trump endorsed physical harm against her. Cheney has been one of Trump’s most outspoken Republican critics, particularly over his handling of the 2020 election and January 6 events, leading to her ousting in 2022 by a Trump-backed candidate. Recently, Cheney has even campaigned with Kamala Harris, calling for a united front against Trump.
What Really Happened
Trump Used Cheney As An Example Of How Politicians Are So Quick To Send young Americans To Die In War
In reality, Trump was criticizing politicians like Liz Cheney for their eagerness to involve the U.S. in endless foreign wars, sending young Americans to fight and die in conflicts with no clear end. When he spoke about “firing upon” Cheney, Trump was using hyperbolic language to illustrate her as a war-hawk—not to suggest any actual harm. His comments were aimed at calling out establishment politicians who, in his view, prioritize foreign interventions over American lives and interests. His point was not a threat but a commentary on the detachment between policymakers and the real consequences of the wars they support.
Hoaxology | How The Hoax Was Made
Here’s how this hoax was made.
Out-of-Context Quote
This technique was key in distorting Trump’s original statements. By isolating his critical comments about Cheney and exaggerating his rhetorical hyperbole, the media presented them as literal threats, even though they were clearly meant as pointed criticism of her hawkish political stance rather than any actual physical threat.
Pretending Hyperbole is Real
Trump’s exaggerated language, which is common in his rhetorical style, was taken literally by media outlets. This method allowed them to characterize his statement as a call for violence against Cheney, rather than as an illustrative critique on politicians quick to send Americans into foreign wars.
Selective Reporting
The media chose to highlight only specific phrases from Trump’s comments while ignoring the broader context. This selective focus created a misleading impression, suggesting he was endorsing violence rather than discussing political hawkishness and foreign policy disagreements.
Selective Video Editing
In this hoax, selective video editing played a crucial role by showing only the portion of Trump’s remarks that could be twisted into a threat. By clipping out context and key background remarks, the media was able to make Trump appear as though he was literally calling for violence against Liz Cheney. The video omitted portions where Trump’s hyperbolic language about Cheney was meant as a critique on her support for foreign wars, rather than an actual threat. This editing technique drastically changed the perceived meaning of Trump’s words, giving viewers the impression he made a physical threat, which fueled a misleading narrative and escalated the hoax.
These methods worked together to create a sensationalized narrative, suggesting Trump’s comments were a literal call to harm Cheney, rather than a critique of war-focused politicians.
Checkout Hoaxology 101 for more information about hoax techniques.
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