Representative Liz Cheney (R., Wyo.) doubled down on her criticism of former President Donald Trump during a speech on the House floor Tuesday, one day before she will face a vote to oust her from her House Republican leadership role.
Cheney said the country is facing a “never seen before” threat in Trump, who she says “has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen from him.”
“Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar,” Cheney said. “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.”
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) announced that a vote would be held Wednesday on whether to remove Cheney from her role as House Republican Conference chair.
“It had been my hope that our driving focus would be taking back the House in 2022 and implementing our Commitment to America,” McCarthy wrote in a statement. “Unfortunately, each day spent relitigating the past is one day less we have to seize the future.”
Cheney has drawn the ire of her Republican colleagues repeatedly since she voted in favor of Trump’s second impeachment but previously survived a secret ballot the House GOP conference conducted in February over whether to keep her in her post.
On Tuesday night, Cheney compared the January 6 Capitol riot to situations she saw unfold in authoritarian countries during her time as a State Department official.
“Those who refuse to accept the rulings of our courts are at war with the Constitution,” Cheney said. “Our duty is clear. Every one of us who has sworn the oath must act to prevent the unraveling of our democracy. This is not about policy. This is not about partisanship. This is about our duty as Americans.”
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