A report by Mediaite on November 1, 2023, former Representative Liz Cheney from Wyoming, who lost her House seat to a pro-Trump candidate in 2022, didn’t hold back as she criticized the new House Speaker, Mike Johnson from Louisiana.
She labeled him as dangerous due to his involvement in former President Donald Trump’s bid to challenge the 2020 election results. Cheney, who served as the vice chair of the House select committee on January 6, accused Johnson of knowingly doing the wrong things and putting aside court rulings and constitutional requirements to please Trump and gain political points.
Cheney made these remarks during an interview with election analyst Larry Sabato on the Politics is Everything podcast from the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. She recently joined the center as a professor and also authored a memoir titled Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning.
Johnson became the Speaker last month after unanimous support, but he was known for being a vocal supporter of Trump’s unproven claims of election fraud in 2020. He even authored a Supreme Court amicus brief in support of Texas’ attempt to invalidate results in key states, which garnered 125 Republican signatures. He also voted to challenge the election results in Arizona and Pennsylvania following the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack by Trump supporters.
Trump praised Johnson’s election, calling him a great leader and a true patriot. However, this move has drawn criticism from Democrats, with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer stating that Johnson’s election was a sad day for democracy and calling him an enemy of our Constitution.
Cheney, who is a vocal critic of Trump and his allies, hasn’t ruled out running for president in 2024 as a representative of the Republican establishment. She firmly believes that the Republican party’s future doesn’t lie with Trump and emphasized the importance of clarity regarding the events of January 6th.
She also warned that Johnson’s speakership poses a threat to the country and its democratic institutions, stressing that having elected Republicans who know better but still support efforts to undermine the republic is concerning.
