Liz Cheney Goes Nuclear on ‘Crackpot’ Elise Stefanik, Reminds Her of Original Reaction to January 6
Left: Liz Cheney (AP Photo/ Jacqulyn Marti, File) Right: Elise Stefanik (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)
On Tuesday, former GOP House Conference Chair Liz Cheney responded to criticism of the January 6 Committee on which she used to serve by her successor, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), by reminding Stefanik of her original reaction to the Capitol riot.
In a statement released by Stefanik Tuesday morning, the representative reacted to the news that the committee deleted over 100 files before Republicans officially retook control of the House of Representatives last year, allegedly in contravention of the chamber’s rules.
“As I said from day one, Nancy Pelosi’s sham January 6th Committee was illegitimate and unconstitutional. It should come as a surprise to no one that Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney’s fake committee illegally deleted records of their sham investigation and obstructed justice,” wrote Stefanik. “The American people deserve full transparency.”
My full statement on the sham January 6th Committee’s illegal obstruction of justice:
“As I said from day one, Nancy Pelosi’s sham January 6th Committee was illegitimate and unconstitutional. It should come as a surprise to no one that Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney’s fake…
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) January 23, 2024
Cheney minced no words in her response to Stefanik’s characterization of her actions, sharing the original statement Stefanik released on the day of the riot with a scintillating caption.
“This is what @EliseStefanik said, in a rare moment of honesty, about the January 6 attack on our Capitol,” noted Cheney. “One day she will have to explain how and why she morphed into a total crackpot. History, and our children, deserve to know.”
This is what @EliseStefanik said, in a rare moment of honesty, about the January 6 attack on our Capitol. One day she will have to explain how and why she morphed into a total crackpot. History, and our children, deserve to know. https://t.co/rSvPe8PDzC
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) January 23, 2024
“This is truly a tragic day for America,” declared Stefanik at the time. “I fully condemn the dangerous violence and destruction that occurred today at the United States Capitol. Americans have a Constitutional right to protest and freedom of speech, but violence in any form is absolutely unacceptable and anti-American. The perpetrators of this un-American violence and destruction must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. My staff and I are safe. We pray that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, their staffs, and all Americans across the country remain safe. Thank you to the United States Capitol Police, all law enforcement, the National Guard, and the bipartisan professional staff of the United States Capitol for protecting the People’s House and the American people.”
Stefanik’s evolving views over the events of January 6 can be compared with her evolving views on Donald Trump. While she was once a critic of Trump’s behavior and policy positions, Stefanik has emerged as a frontrunner to become Trump’s 2024 veepstakes as a result of the loyalty she’s shown him in recent years.
The New York congresswoman replaced Cheney in Republican leadership after the GOP caucus removed the latter from her post after she continued to speak out about January 6 and criticize Trump in the months that followed the riot.
