๐ฅ โA Garden Hose Full of Diarrheaโ: David Muir Uses Dick Cheneyโs Democratic Vote to Judge Trump as โAmericaโs Explosively Unstable Disasterโ
In a televised moment that stunned viewers across the country, ABC News anchor David Muir unleashed one of the most blistering takedowns of Donald Trump ever delivered on primetime television. Known for his calm demeanor and measured reporting style, Muir shocked the political world when he described Trumpโs presidency as โan explosively unstable disaster โ like a garden hose full of diarrhea.โ

It was a metaphor so vivid, so uncharacteristically brutal for Muir, that social media exploded within minutes. But the anchor wasnโt reaching for shock value. He was building a case โ a case centered on one of the most unexpected political statements in modern American history: Dick Cheney voting for a Democrat.
For decades, former Vice President Dick Cheney has been synonymous with conservative power, Republican loyalty, and unwavering right-wing principles. His political identity is practically carved in stone. Yet Cheney didnโt just distance himself from Donald Trump โ he openly declared he would vote Democratic rather than support the man he called โa serious threat to the Republic.โ
And David Muir, normally the most composed voice in broadcast journalism, used that moment to draw a line in the sand.
A Rare Muir Moment: Calm Anchor, Explosive Words
During a segment analyzing the state of the 2024 political landscape, Muir paused, looked directly into the camera, and delivered what many are now calling one of the most unforgettable lines of his career:
โWhen a Republican icon like Dick Cheney decides that a Democrat is the safer choice for America, itโs not politics โ itโs a warning. Trumpโs presidency? It wasnโt just chaotic. It was an explosively unstable disaster, unpredictable and messy in every directionโฆ like a garden hose full of diarrhea.โ
The studio reportedly fell silent. Producers were stunned. Viewers replayed the clip over and over. Muir had just broken every expectation of his famously steady tone โ and he had done it for a reason.

Cheneyโs Vote: A Political Earthquake

Why does Dick Cheneyโs Democratic vote matter so much?
Because Cheney is not just a Republican figure โ he is one of the most influential Republican architects of the last half-century. A man whose worldview shaped U.S. foreign policy, defense strategy, and the Republican platform itself.
For someone like him to take a public stance against Trump sends a message more powerful than any poll, editorial, or party statement:
Even the guardians of the Republican establishment believe Trump crossed a line that cannot be defended.
Cheney wasnโt vague about his reasoning. He called Trump:
-
โDangerous.โ
-
โUnstable.โ
-
โA man who should never again be anywhere near the Oval Office.โ
This wasnโt party defection.
It was political survival โ for the country, not the party.
Muir Turns His Segment Into a Courtroom
What made David Muirโs analysis explosive wasnโt the insult itself. It was the structure of his argument. Like a prosecutor, he laid out the evidence:
-
Trumpโs repeated attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
-
His attacks on military leadership and intelligence officials.
-
His governing style, marked by chaos, turnover, and impulsive decisions.
-
His public clashes with members of his own party, even those who once supported him.
Then came the verdict:
If Dick Cheney โ perhaps the most hardline Republican of the modern era โ sees Trump as an existential danger, America should pay attention.
Thatโs when Muir delivered the now-viral line.
Not as a joke, but as a final visual to describe what he saw as the total unpredictability and disorder that defined the Trump years.
Why the Metaphor Hit So Hard
Late-night comedians often use extreme metaphors.
Anchors do not.
Thatโs why this moment hit with the force of a political earthquake.
Muirโs metaphor worked because it captured something millions of Americans โ on both sides of the political divide โ felt during the Trump presidency:
Chaos. Turbulence. Constant explosion. No control. No stability.
It was crude, yes.
But it was accurate to the emotional reality experienced by supporters and critics alike as they watched daily political crises unfold.

A Warning Shot to 2025 and Beyond

David Muirโs uncharacteristically fierce commentary is already being replayed as one of the defining media moments of the post-Trump era. Analysts say it may mark a shift in how mainstream journalism discusses the former president โ not with cautious neutrality, but with unapologetic clarity about the stakes.
And the central question remains:
If Dick Cheney would rather vote for a Democrat than for Donald Trump, what does that say about the danger Trump poses not just to Republicans โ but to America itself?