Liz Cheney renews attacks on Trump ahead of GOP vote to oust her from leadership

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Hours ahead of a vote by her Republican colleagues to oust her from her leadership position, Rep. Liz Cheney delivered an impassioned speech on the floor of the House of Representatives in which she took direct aim at former President Donald Trump.

“Today we face a threat America has never seen before. A former president, who provoked a violent attack on this Capitol in an effort to steal the election, has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen from him,” Cheney, R-Wyo., said. “He risks inciting further violence.”

Cheney’s vote to impeach Trump for “incitement of insurrection” in relation to his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol and her refusal to endorse Trump’s claims of election fraud resulted in the vote called by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to remove Cheney from her leadership role.

“Millions of Americans have been misled by the former president,” Cheney continued. “They have heard only his words but not the truth, as he continues to undermine our democratic process, sowing seeds of doubt about whether democracy really works at all.”

Liz Cheney
Rep. Liz Cheney. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)

Cheney noted that no credible evidence had been put forth to support Trump's claims of election fraud.

“I am a conservative Republican and the most conservative of conservative principles is reverence for the rule of law. The Electoral College has voted,” Cheney said. “More than 60 state and federal courts, including multiple judges the former president appointed, have rejected his claims. The Trump Department of Justice investigated the former president’s claims of widespread fraud and found no evidence to support them.”

Cheney also offered criticism of her Republican colleagues who have ignored the court rulings and governmental reviews showing that the 2020 election was free of widespread fraud.

“Those who refuse to accept the rulings of our courts are at war with the Constitution,” Cheney said, adding, “Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar. I will not participate in that. I will not sit back and watch in silence while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former president’s crusade to undermine our democracy.”

On Wednesday, Republicans in the House will likely vote to replace Cheney with Rep. Elaine Stefanik, R-N.Y., who has echoed some of Trump’s claims of election fraud.

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