Republican Party must choose between Trump and the Constitution, Liz Cheney says in California speech
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Warning that America faces a “domestic threat we have never faced before,” GOP Rep. Liz Cheney on Wednesday accused Republicans who ignore former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the presidential election of being derelict in their duty to preserve the constitutional republic.
Cheney’s remarks at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley were equally lacerating about the former president and the GOP — a broadside against her own party coming, ironically, at the monument to the late president who championed the so-called 11th commandment: that Republicans should not attack fellow Republicans.
After denouncing Republican leaders and elected officials for making themselves “willing hostages to this dangerous and irrational man,” the Wyoming congresswoman offered a blunt assessment of the decision awaiting the GOP.
“We have to choose, because Republicans cannot be loyal to Donald Trump and to the Constitution,” she said.
The enthusiastically received address came at a moment when Cheney’s profile has never been higher, and her estrangement from most of the GOP has never been more acute.
Cheney’s persistent condemnation of Trump since the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot has cost her a leadership post within the House Republican Conference and potentially her seat, as she faces a well-funded and Trump-endorsed opponent in her August primary.
As vice chair of the House committee investigating the siege on the Capitol, Cheney has used her perch to issue scathing pronouncements about Republicans’ fealty to Trump, further deepening the rift with her party.
In one memorable line in the panel’s opening hearing, Cheney directly addressed GOP colleagues who “are defending the indefensible,” telling them, “There will come a day when Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.”
Cheney’s speech Wednesday was part of the library’s “A Time for Choosing” program on the future of the Republican Party, which has featured rising stars and potential 2024 presidential contenders, including South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, former Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Although those others in the series have largely avoided extended commentary on Trump, the former president was a central focus of Cheney’s remarks.
Roger Zakheim, the director of the Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, wryly noted the 40th president’s maxim against intraparty warfare in his introduction to Cheney. But, he added, “when he felt that conservative principles were at stake, Ronald Reagan did not hold his tongue.”
Cheney was similarly frank in describing America’s current political moment.
“My fellow Americans, we stand at the edge of an abyss, and we must pull back,” she said. “We must pull back.”
The congresswoman proved to be a major draw; the library’s parking lot was full more than an hour before the speech, and eager audience members trudged uphill along the canyon road where excess cars parked. The full capacity crowd skewed more Democratic than usual, and many attendees said they were inspired to come to the speech after her performances on the Jan. 6 panel.
Irene DiRaffael and her husband, Tony, both Democrats, said they have been tuning in to watch each hearing aired lived.
“I was afraid when they first started that it would turn into a circus, that they’d be catering on an emotional level to people,” said the 76-year-old retired social worker from Moorpark. “But from the first session on, they’ve been so professional and so fact-driven.”
DiRaffael said Cheney would be a fitting standard-bearer for the Republican Party.
“I’d like to see the party return to the way it used to be,” she said. “They’ve always had really stellar people leading the party. We could disagree with on policy, but we could respect the people.”
In her speech, Cheney recounted what the select committee has found, including Trump’s attempts to go to the Capitol to prevent the counting of the electoral votes and his denunciations of Pence that encouraged a violent mob to pursue the vice president.
“It’s undeniable. It’s also painful for Republicans to accept,” she said.
She also praised the committee’s most recent witness, Cassidy Hutchinson, the 25-year-old former aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Her bravery in testifying was, in Cheney’s words, “awesome to behold.”
“Her superiors, men many years older — a number of them are hiding behind executive privilege, anonymity and intimidation,” she said, comments that were all the more pointed given the news hours earlier that the select committee will subpoena Pat Cipollone, former White House counsel, to compel public testimony.
By comparison, Cheney’s critiques of President Biden and his stewardship of the economy were pro forma — blaming his policies for surging inflation. But Democrats were largely portrayed as allies, not adversaries, throughout her speech.
“One of my Democratic colleagues said to me recently that he looked forward to the day when he and I could disagree again,” she said to laughs. “And believe me, I share that sentiment.”
Cheney was greeted warmly by the audience, which gave an extended standing ovation upon her entrance. And although Zakheim warned of potential hecklers, her speech went uninterrupted.
The sharpest critique from audience member Robert Impellizzeri, a retired Army colonel from Moorpark, was that it had taken her so long to break with her support from Trump. The 69-year-old Republican said he disliked Trump from the start.
Still, ahead of her speech, he was mostly full of praise for Cheney.
“She’s standing for what is true, what is factual, what is necessary to promote decency in this country,” he said. “Our leaders should behave and act responsibly with dignity, honor and integrity. And Donald Trump acted with none of that for four years.”
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The C-SPAN full video:
Sadly it seems that many have made the wrong decision.
What it says about the party, is that it is plain FCKD UP. How can Republicans still side with and defend Trump, the LYING former potUS, as they hear how loosely he would play with their lives, because they would just become sacrificial pawns to a 'man' who decided he should be king, except for one thing, the wanna be empirical was only an empiric, lacked the moral and ethical characteristics, and attempted to fabricate his own reality and succeeded, all while he attempted to, and almost seceded, via a hostile takeover by way of corrupting the institution, sometimes referred to as the Constitution. How can ANYONE ever defend andsupport this lower than any could or should ever go, is beyond me, as he is beyond belief, but Good Grief, GOP, how the Hell can you not see....? he was not even wearing fabric, as he was the naked and afraid emperor who wore no clothes for he was too fat to not be obscene, with skin too thin to contain or express, whjat he really did mean and nasty, with a bad bag of colostomy drug behind, his phat ask king everyone to DIE on their sword, while he would ride off into the sunset, cause he believed he was the best they could ever get after they believed every LIE, he showed them they hadn;t seen shit yet, as he thrashed and trashed totally unabashed, our Constitution, as if it were his duty, to do just that
Drip, drip, drip. All talk and no indictment.
SCOTUS is bringing back the Constitution. The era of a 'do nothing' Congress is coming to an end.
The ORIGINAL Constitution. Goodbye rights to privacy, mixed marriages, contraception, hello to African Americans equaling 3/5 of a person and equal rights of women. You know, the ORIGINAL Constitution.
Going all Chicken Little about things you imagine.
The ORIGINAL Constitution required Congress to legislate and provide guidance to both the executive branch and judicial branch.
Everything you listed can be addressed by legislation. Congress only needs to do its job.
Good ole' TT - Token Thomas
It's quite comical.
yep, and Congress's refusal to legislate on controversial issues and rely on Executive/Supreme Court to make law on it's behalf explains the fixation Americans have with the Supreme Court as a law giver. It's totally backward.
Congress needs to do its job. It can't blame the Court because for its own failure.
Have I imagined the Supreme Court reversing 50 years of court supported women's rights?
Have I imagined the Supreme Court reversing over a hundred years of court supported state rights for regulation of firearms?
Have I imagined a Supreme Court Justice stating that they would like to re-examine contraception and gay marriage rights?
Have you?
Have you?
Have you?
No, Ozzwald hasn't imagined any of those things. All of those things happened so your comment is ridiculous.
And thank you for your typical trollish answers to straight forward questions.
trolling questions get the answers they deserve.
Democrats love Liz now. She is unofficially one of them. Until she recovers from her TDS, and realizes they have screwed her royally. The second she tries to be a conservative again for one second they will trash her in the media, online, and everywhere else. Republicans and conservatives have no damn use for her anymore. She is done politically and everyone knows it.
Of course Democrats and leftists are thrilled with the Jan 6th committee. It is parceling out only information and "evidence" that want to hear. No cross examination. No witnesses for the defense. In fact no defense at all. It is feeding all of their rampant TDS desires.
Cheney as standard-bearer for the Republican Party. That is like expecting Joe Manchin to become the standard bearer for the Democrat Party; except Manchin is far more moderate than Cheney. He is also far less of a political tool for the Republicans.
Liz should enjoy her limelight now. Midterms are coming; and she will suffer the same fate as the Democrats she is appeasing.
Clio, as with the other 8 Muses, comes with a wicked sense of humor bent on ridiculing those who predict what is to come.
That’s life in the middle, though. When you think for yourself, you’re bound to piss off everyone eventually. Your current status is based on the last thing you did or said. That’s why liberal media loves John McCain forever. The last thing he did was be an enemy of Trump.
“When you think for yourself, you’re bound to piss off everyone eventually.”
Too true…perhaps meaning one is more often correct when all the stains eventually come out in the wash.
Liz in the middle? Not even on her best day! She is still Dick Cheney's daughter! Something the left seems to have forgotten completely!
You are correct though, the liberal media loves her for being an enemy of Trump. Just like they loved McCain at the end for the same reason.
I don't think Liz is going to die anytime soon; so her hatred of Trump will not be the last thing they remember. Sooner or later the conservative in her will come back out. Then she will be torn politically apart by the very Democrats and liberal media that now profess undying love for her. With no Republicans and conservatives left to back her; she will be a political leper. Which is career suicide for a career politician like she wants to be.
Or you find out you were wrong; and the stains are set forever.
You know, it varies. It depends on the issue. It's like people who think Tulsi Gabbard is a conservative because every once in a while she says something that the people at Fox News agree with. She's still plenty liberal.
Democrat here. First, I don't love Liz now and never have. She's not one of us and never will be. Her views are still conservative, just not Trumpublican bat-crap crazy conservative which is why Trumpublicans no longer "love" Liz. She'll be voted out by the bat-crap crazy Trumpublican conservatives and the Democrats won't back her either.
If the Republicans truly wanted a voice on the January 6th committee, they wouldn't have voted against it, and don't give me that crap about not being allowed to place who conservatives wanted on the committee. You don't put people on the committee that would potentially be a witness called before the committee. The Conservatives have been disingenuous for the start and never wanted the committee to begin with.
It is cute that Liz feels she is in a position to tell Republicans what they must do. I am sure she will continue to do it at her new job on msnbc.