Trump says he doesn't mind if a shooter takes aim at "fake news" to get him
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Former President Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 3. Photo: Ryan Collerd/AFP via Getty Images
Former President Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania Sunday suggested he wouldn't "mind that so much" if someone had to "shoot through the fake news" to get him, though his campaign later issued a statement to defend his words.
Why it matters: Trump, who's in a dead-heat race against Vice President Harris days before voting ends, has been open to seeking retribution against his growing list of perceived enemies. Mainstream news networks and media are not new to the list, but his allusions to violence have become more blatant.
- "I have a piece of glass over here," Trump said, while pointing to bulletproof glass in front of a podium designed for his protection following two failed attempts on his life, including at a rally in Butler.
- "And I don't have a piece of glass there ... But all we have really over here is the fake news. And to get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news, and I don't mind that so much. I don't mind that."
What they're saying: "President Trump was stating that the Media was in danger, in that they were protecting him and, therefore, were in great danger themselves, and should have had a glass protective shield, also," Trump Campaign Communications Director Steven Cheung said in a statement.
- "The President's statement about protective glass placement has nothing to do with the Media being harmed, or anything else. It was about threats against him that were spurred on by dangerous rhetoric from Democrats," the statement said.
State of play: Trump referenced his usual targets — news networks, Harris and "crooked" Hillary Clinton — at other points during his grievance-laden remarks Sunday. He spoke highly of recent interviews he's done with podcaster Joe Rogan and ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
- During an appearance with Carlson on Thursday night, Trump suggested that ex-Rep. Liz Cheney was a "radical war hawk" who should face gunfire. Cheney has effectively become a pariah in the GOP over her post-Jan. 6 anti-Trumpism. She's been a surrogate this cycle for Harris.
The big picture: Trump and Harris have been packing their schedules in the final days of their campaigns, mostly with stops in the seven key states that will define either candidate's path to victory through the Electoral College.
- Trump held rallies in North Carolina and Virginia on Saturday. Other rallies scheduled for Sunday will be in North Carolina and Georgia and on Monday in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
- Harris, in addition to a surprise appearance on "Saturday Night Live," held events in Georgia and North Carolina on Saturday. She will appear at a rally in Michigan later Sunday and in Pennsylvania on Monday.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from the Trump campaign.
