Win McNamee/Getty Image
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who has faced sharp criticism and threats from Donald Trump over her role in the January 6 investigation, has spoken out following the release of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report. The report delves into Trump’s alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election results.
In a statement on social media Tuesday, Cheney emphasized the significance of the findings. “The Special Counsel’s 1/6 Report, made public last night, confirms the unavoidable facts of 1/6 yet again. DOJ’s exhaustive and independent investigation reached the same essential conclusions as the Select Committee. All this DOJ evidence must be preserved,” she wrote.
The Department of Justice released Smith’s report early Tuesday morning, following legal battles from Trump to prevent its publication. According to The Washington Post, Smith concluded that “If Donald Trump hadn’t won the presidential election in November, the Justice Department would have had ample evidence to convict him at trial of trying to obstruct the 2020 election results.”
Cheney took aim at her fellow Republicans, questioning their willingness to confirm Trump’s controversial nominees, including Kash Patel for FBI director, Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence, and Pete Hegseth for defense secretary.
“But most important now, as the Senate considers confirming Trump’s Justice Department nominees: if those nominees cooperated with Trump’s deceit to overturn the 2020 election, they cannot now be entrusted with the responsibility to preserve the rule of law and protect our Republic,” Cheney wrote.
She continued with a stark challenge to her party: “As our framers knew, our institutions only hold when those in office are not compromised by personal loyalty to a tyrant. So this question is now paramount for Republicans: Will you faithfully perform the duties the framers assigned to you and do what the Constitution requires? Or do you lack the courage?”
The J6 report, as noted by a CNN analyst, highlighted “many instances” where Trump was aware the election was not stolen but continued to perpetuate falsehoods about widespread voter fraud.
Trump dismissed the report on social media, calling it a politically motivated document. “Deranged Jack Smith was unable to successfully prosecute the Political Opponent of his ‘boss,’ Crooked Joe Biden, so he ends up writing yet another ‘Report,’” Trump wrote.
Cheney, a prominent critic of Trump, chaired the January 6 Select Committee, which led to Trump’s second impeachment. Although the Senate ultimately acquitted Trump, Cheney’s critique continues to challenge her party’s alignment with the former president.
