Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) who has been vilified for challenging the Republican Party’s unbending loyalty to former President Donald Trump’s lie of a stolen election delivered a powerful speech on the House floor on the eve of her her widely anticipated ouster as conference chair.
“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. He risks inciting further violence,” Cheney said Tuesday night.
The remarks come as the House GOP conference prepares to meet on Wednesday and effectively vote on whether to boot Cheney as the No. 3 Republican over her unyielding criticism of Trump’s election lies and efforts to preserve democracy. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) who defended her against a call for her ouster in February, has said this time that he has “had it” with Cheney in recent weeks and announced plans for a vote to axe her as conference chair on Monday.
The Wyoming lawmaker has been an outspoken critic of Trump and his allies for undermining the democratic process over debunked claims of a stolen election. In January, she led nine other House Republicans in voting to impeach Trump for his role in inciting a mob of his supporters to attack the Capitol over his election loss.
“Millions of Americans have been misled by the former President,” she said Tuesday. “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.”
Cheney also pushed back on critics who have called her a “RINO” over her efforts to challenge Trump’s enduring and dangerous influence.
“I am a conservative Republican and the most conservative of conservative principles is reverence for the rule of law,” Cheney said.
She added: “Remaining silent, and ignoring the lie, emboldens the liar.”
The Wyoming lawmaker said she would not take part in the lie, while urging her colleagues to fulfill the duty of their sworn oath by speaking the truth.
“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,” she said.
“We must speak the truth. Our election was not stolen, and America has not failed,” she added.
