Liz Cheney Says Trump 'Unfit for Any Office' in Final Jan 6 Public Hearing

Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney said she believed former President Donald Trump should not serve in a position of authority again as the January 6 House committee held its final public session on Monday, December 19.

Cheney, who served as the vice chair of the committee, said, "Among the most shameful of this committee’s findings is that President Trump sat in the dining room off the Oval Office, watching the violent riot at the Capitol on television.

“For hours he would not issue a public statement instructing his supporters to disperse and leave the Capitol,” Cheney said.

“In addition to being unlawful, as described in our report, this was an utter moral failure, and a clear dereliction of duty,” Cheney said.

“No man who would behave that way at that moment in time can ever serve in any position of authority in our nation again. He is unfit for any office,” Cheney said.

The panel was expected to publish its report on the attack on the Capitol after a year of testimonies and hearings. Credit: C-SPAN via Storyful

Video Transcript

LIZ CHENEY: In our work over the last 18 months, the Select Committee has recognized our obligation to do everything we can to ensure this never happens again. At the beginning of our investigation, we understood that tens of millions of Americans had been persuaded by President Trump that the 2020 election was stolen by overwhelming fraud. And we also knew this was flatly false. We knew that dozens of state and federal judges had addressed and resolved all manner of allegations about the election. Our legal system functioned as it should. But our president would not accept the outcome.

Among the most shameful of this committee's findings was that President Trump sat in the dining room off the Oval Office watching the violent riot at the Capitol on television. For hours, he would not issue a public statement instructing his supporters to disperse and leave the Capitol despite urgent pleas from his White House staff and dozens of others to do so. Members of his family, his White House lawyers, virtually all those around him knew that this simple act was critical.

For hours, he would not do it. During this time, law enforcement agents were attacked and seriously injured. The Capitol was invaded. The electoral count was halted. And the lives of those in the Capitol were put at risk.

In addition to being unlawful, as described in our report, this was an utter moral failure and a clear dereliction of duty. Evidence of this can be seen in the testimony of President Trump's own White House counsel and several other White House witnesses. No man who would behave that way at that moment in time can ever serve in any position of authority in our nation again. He is unfit for any office.