On Wednesday night, US representative Liz Cheney was removed from her leadership position among House Republicans after delivering a fiery speech attacking former president Donald Trump and his GOP supporters, claiming they were threatening to “undermine our democracy”.
Cheney used her abrupt evening appearance in an almost empty House chamber to lash out at leaders of her party, saying she had no intention of backing down in her fight against Trump despite risking her position.
“We have seen the danger that he continues to provoke with his language,” Cheney said about Trump. “We have seen his lack of commitment and dedication to the Constitution, and I think it’s very important that we make sure whomever we elect is somebody who will be faithful to the Constitution.”
“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.”
“This is not about policy, this is not about partisanship, this is about our duty as Americans,” Cheney said. “Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar. I will not participate in that.”
Cheney, the daughter of former vice-president Dick Cheney, subsequently lost a vote on her leadership position after it was called by House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy.
After the vote, Cheney told reporters that she “will do everything I can to make sure the former president never again gets anywhere near the Oval Office.”
“They have heard only his words but not the truth as he continues to undermine our democratic process, sowing seeds of doubt about whether democracy really works at all,” she said.
Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, one of Cheney’s allies said the vote was quick.
In February, House Republicans held a vote to oust Cheney, but McCarthy advised Republicans not to remove her, encouraging them to move past impeachment. In the secret ballot vote, 61 Republicans voted to remove Cheney from her post, while 145 voted for her to stay. A few days later, the Wyoming GOP voted to censure her.
Until last night, Cheney was the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House.
In February, she was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting the group that overran the Capitol on January 6.
In an op-ed for The Washington Post last week, Cheney called Trump “dangerous” and urged members of her party to turn away from his “anti-democratic cult of personality.”
The piece sparked a wave of criticism from within her party, including McCarthy. “It’s clear that we need to make a change,” McCarthy told members of his Republican Party in a letter announcing Wednesday’s vote.
“These internal conflicts need to be resolved so as to not detract from the efforts of our collective team.”
March on PAC, an American non-profit organisation led by grassroots political female activists, wrote in their latest newsletter: “After four years of dangerous lies from Donald Trump and his Republicans, we need truth-tellers like Liz Cheney now more than ever.“
“So we’re thanking Liz Cheney for standing up to her party and calling out Trump’s lies.
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