Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who was ousted from her leadership position this week by her own party, said she would do “whatever it takes” to prevent former president Donald Trump from becoming president again.
During an interview with NBC’s Today, Cheney claimed Trump’s refusal to accept the certified 2020 presidential election results proved he is “unfit” for the presidency and that he should never be allowed near the Oval Office again.
The Wyoming congresswoman initially appeared to support Trump. However, a public rift developed in 2019 over his opposition to military involvement in regions like Iran and Afghanistan, where the US has maintained a presence for nearly two decades as part of then-President George W. Bush‘s war on terror.
Given Trump’s continuing appeal with much of the conservative base, Cheney said the threat of another Jan. 6 now outweighed even the possibility of another Sept. 11.
Keeping the former GOP leader out of power should be priority No. 1, she insisted.
“I think that it is the most important issue that we are facing right now as a country,” she said. “And we’re facing a huge array of issues, so he must not ever again be anywhere close to the Oval Office.”
When asked if she would ever consider a presidential run herself, Cheney said, “I’m gonna do everything that I can—both to make sure that [Trump’s re-election] never happens, but also to make sure that the Republican Party gets back to substance and policy.”
She said she planned to focus in the immediate future on restoring the pro-Establishment values that the Republican Party embraced during the Bush era, when her father, Dick Cheney, was the vice president.
“Right now, I am very focused on making sure that our party becomes again a party that stands for truth and stands for fundamental principles that are conservative and mostly stands for the Constitution,” Cheney said. “And I won’t let a former president or anybody else unravel the democracy. Whatever it takes.”
House Republicans voted Cheney out of her position as the House GOP Conference chair on Wednesday through a fast voice vote.
She has faced heavy criticism from her colleagues for repeatedly attacking Trump, to the point where several House Republicans are rallying behind primary candidates challenging her seat in Congress.
However, Cheney said she is not worried about her reelection campaign.
“Bring it on,” she said. “If they think that they’re gonna come into Wyoming and make the argument that the people of Wyoming should vote for someone who is loyal to Donald Trump over someone who is loyal to the Constitution, I welcome that debate.”
Cheney also said that despite her riff with Republicans, she does not plan on leaving the GOP.
Would you ever consider leaving the Republican party and becoming an independent? –@SavannahGuthrie
I’m not leaving the party. -Rep. Liz Cheney pic.twitter.com/plArtW4dLF
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 13, 2021
Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.
