Republican Representative Liz Cheney did not mince words in response to outgoing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s unwavering endorsement of Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election. McCarthy, set to retire at the end of December, expressed his support for Trump during an interview with CBS’ Robert Costa over the weekend, even signaling a willingness to serve in a potential Trump cabinet.
In a conversation with MSNBC’s Jen Psaki, Cheney expressed bewilderment at McCarthy’s steadfast support for the twice-impeached and four-times-indicted former reality TV personality. Summing up McCarthy’s endorsement in just two words, Cheney called it “pathetic” and “sad.”
“It doesn’t really matter what Donald Trump has done to the country, what Donald Trump has done to the Congress, Donald Trump has done to Kevin McCarthy,” Cheney remarked. She suggested that history would reflect poorly on McCarthy’s repeated decisions to align with Trump, characterizing it as a choice that inflicted genuine harm.
Initially assigning blame to Trump for the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, McCarthy’s stance shifted. He voted against impeaching Trump and visited the former president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Since then, McCarthy has emerged as one of Trump’s staunchest supporters, endorsing baseless claims of election fraud and sidelining Cheney from her leadership role for refusing to embrace Trump’s falsehoods.
Cheney, one of the ten House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, has remained vocal in her criticism, labeling Trump and his enablers as a “threat to democracy.” Unfazed by McCarthy’s endorsement, Cheney expressed disappointment in his perceived lack of courage and principle.
“He knows better. He knows what happened on January 6th. He knows what Donald Trump did. He knows what Donald Trump is,” Cheney asserted.
She went on to argue that McCarthy’s alignment with Trump not only harms the Republican Party but also jeopardizes the nation. Accusing him of prioritizing personal ambition over constitutional values, the rule of law, and national security, Cheney urged more Republicans to reject Trump’s influence and work towards restoring the party’s integrity.
Confident that the American people would discern the truth, Cheney hoped for a rejection of Trump and his allies in the upcoming election. Undeterred by potential backlash, she declared her commitment to speaking the truth and fighting for the nation’s future.
“I’m not going to be intimidated by him. I’m not going to be silenced by him. I’m going to do what’s right for the American people,” Cheney asserted.
