Liz Cheney: ‘There Is Actually Precedent for … Vice Presidents to Testify’

The outgoing GOP rep discusses the possibility of Mike Pence appearing before the January 6 committee.

By
103

JACKSON, Wyoming—Liz Cheney lost her primary election in Wyoming on Tuesday, to Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman. The outcome was no surprise: Wyoming is, as we noted in a piece on Tuesday, the Trumpiest state in the U.S. Cheney had earned the ire of Donald Trump and his supporters first for voting to impeach him after January 6 and subsequently for her work on the House select committee investigating January 6. But while Cheney was defeated, she is hardly deflated. She spoke to Steve Hayes about the election, the work of the January 6 committee, “strange new respect” from the left, and her political future from Jackson, Wyoming. The transcript below has been edited for grammar and clarity. 

Steve Hayes: How many of your Republican colleagues have called to talk to you since the race was called? 

Liz Cheney: I’ve heard from all the impeachers—and that’s it. 

Hayes: Any other notable people reach out?

Keep reading with a free account
Create a free Dispatch account to keep reading Get Started ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT? SIGN IN
103
By
Comments (103)
Join The Dispatch to participate in the comments.
 
  1. Avatar photo
    Andy Napoli

    This kind of polling is pointless -- elections are decided state by state, not nationally. The real question is what a Liz Cheney candidacy would do in the key battleground states.

    My view is that a third party/Independent bid for President probably should occur in 2028 when Trump is gone from the scene.

    But in the event Trump wins the 2024 GOP nomination, the key task for a Liz Cheney candidacy is to run only in a relatively small number of states where she can get ballot access and where there's enough suburban voters who would rather not vote for Biden but really don't want to vote for Trump. The goal would be to concentrate the resources for an Independent candidacy so she could run to win outright in six or seven states and block a path to 270 EVs for Trump

    URL: https://www.aol.com/poll-indicates-liz-cheney-presidential-162214298.html

    Collapse
  2. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    An American patriot! Farewell and congratulations to Liz Cheney! Her father should be proud!

    Collapse
  3. RonJ

    Bravo Liz. Carry on. I'm seriously considering changing my party affiliation because of the way the GOP treated her. And of course, not one dime of donations for House races this cycle. Nothing...

    Collapse
  4. Avatar photo
    Andrew

    Steve with the reporting! Thanks for the piece and the effort. Good read and well done.

    Collapse
  5. William Brady

    I’m going to say something that is probably going to upset the diehard Liz Cheney supporters here, yet also will tick off the MAGA “stop the steal” dead-enders.

    Cheney had a choice after January 6 between political viability, which would have involved modulating her outrage over Trump’s 2020 election lies, or political self-immolation. She chose the latter.

    Now of course, hers was an admirable loss. It is rare that any elected official is willing to sacrifice his or her office over a matter of deeply felt principle. Cheney did it unhesitatingly. She will be remembered fondly by history, and better than other members of her party who have repeated or tolerated lies merely to maintain or gain political power.

    That said, she has undoubtedly cut herself off from the possibility of having a positive influence on the direction of the Republican Party via electoral politics. If she runs for president, either in a GOP primary or as an independent in a general election, the effort will be nugatory at best, and possibly quite destructive.

    If Cheney is willing to listen to reason on this question, she will be content to use her prodigious fundraising ability and national platform to continue to make her case against Trump as an advocate. Anything else would be folly.

    Collapse
  6. Avatar photo
    David Atkinson

    I'm not a sophisticated political person, so Liz Cheney's sentence "I think you run for president because you think you should be the president" resonates with me. The last presidential candidate that I voted "for" was Mitt Romney. My votes for Evan McMullin and Joe Biden weren't so much votes for either man as they were votes against Donald Trump. I'll rework Liz Cheney's sentence around a bit as it pertains to whom I will cast my vote for - "I think you vote for a president who you think would make a good president." Liz Cheney, you've got my vote in 2024 even if I end up writing it in.

    Collapse
  7. Avatar photo
    Michael Salardino

    Great interview Steve. Liz is the bravest politician, maybe of my long lifetime. If she runs I will campaign for her with enthusiasm no matter how she does it, Republican or Independent.

    Collapse
  8. PatThomson

    Well, Ms Cheney, it looks like Nancy Pelosi will get her way. You were a deep thorn in her side. She couldn't have devised a better way to get a truly dangerous thinking conservative out of Congress than having the people of their home state vote them out. The hard part was finding a way to turn your voters against you. So Trump did her dirty work for her. And Pelosi's fingerprints are nowhere to be found on this.

    Collapse
    1. Avatar photo
      C C Writer

      Out of Congress (but not before the hearings are complete) and into the briar patch! I'm thinking they should have been careful what they wished for.

      Collapse
  9. Avatar photo
    rlritt

    <<<<>>>>>>>
    I listened to an interview with Adam Kinzinger. He said he was talking to someone very high up in the Republucan party who at one time would have hated Trump but is all in with him now. He asked him if he wasn't concerned that what Trump was doing could destroy America. This important Republican pol said " The United States could be replaced" and he didn't seem to have have problem with that. I would like to add to what Cheney said that there are Republicans who would be willing to tear down our country and install Trump as dictator as long as the retained power. It is real scary.

    Collapse
  10. Avatar photo
    Bill Nelson

    I appreciate what she has done. But a run to keep Trump out of office is not a good reason, not sufficient. There were two recent votes that were referenced that tarnish her sterling conservative reputation. Those become problematic because they don’t win democratic votes and cost you republican votes.
    All of the praise from the left is hollow and disegenuous, they will abandon you at the first vote.

    Collapse
    1. Avatar photo
      rlritt

      They will if she runs as an independent. If she runs s as a Democrat, that's a big "if", she actually might win. The Dems have big, big tent and they all dispise Trump. Since the, Republicans have abandoned conservativeism, some Republicans may find a home in a new Democratic Right wing.

      Collapse
      1. Avatar photo
        Bill Nelson

        The right wing of the Democratic Party? The democrats snuffed that out years ago. Political views are not like clothes, they take years to develop and are not lightly cast off. Conservatives remain conservative even if there is no one to vote for, and they will not vote for Trump but they certainly will not vote for a democrat.

        Collapse
        1. Avatar photo
          Mudskipper

          You don't see the irony of your comment? You complain that the Democrats snuffed out their right wing years ago, while being upset that Cheney moved a little towards the middle in two recent votes. Apparently, ideology purity and inability to moderate is a Bad Thing in your opponents, but a Great Thing in your own tribe.

          Collapse
        2. Avatar photo
          rlritt

          I don't know. I am an independent, but there Democrats that are Democrats that I find common ground with. Unfortunately, reports on the extremes.

          Collapse
Load More