‘Kevin McCarthy Was Scared’: Liz Cheney Slams Trump For Refusing to ‘Defend Our Nation’ as Supporters Attacked Capitol

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) slammed former President Donald Trump for refusing to “defend our nation” as his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

During the hearing by the House committee investigating Jan. 6, where Cheney is its vice chair, Cheney said that mob violence sought to “achieve President Trump’s goal” to overturn 2020 election.

Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, she said, “was scared” as the mob stormed the Capitol and Trump refused to act.

She said:

The angry armed mob President Trump sent to the capitol broke through security, invaded the Capitol and forced the vote counting to stop. That mob was violent and destructive and many came armed. As you will hear, Secret Service agents, protecting the vice president, were exceptionally concerned about his safety and their own. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was scared, as were others in Congress, even those who themselves helped to provoke the violence.

And as you will see today, Donald Trump’s own White House counsel, his own White House staff, members of his own family, all implored him to immediately intervene to condemn the violence and instruct his supporters to stand down, leave the Capitol and disperse. For multiple hours, he would not. Donald Trump would not get on the phone and order the military or law enforcement agencies to help.

And for hours, Donald Trump chose not to answer the pleas from Congress, from his own party, and from all across our nation to do what his oath required. He refused to defend our nation and our Constitution. He refused to do what every American president must. In the days after Jan. 6, almost no one at any political party would defend president trump’s conduct, and no one should do so today.

McCarthy was on the phone with Trump as the attack on the Capitol was underway, urging him to call off the riot. He condemned Trump for the riot in the wake of the attack, but eventually came around to supporting the president again.

Thursday’s hearing will be the last until September.

Watch above, via MSNBC.

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