Liz Cheney Blasts Fellow Republicans for ‘Looking the Other Way’ and Embracing Trump: ‘That’s How Democracies Die’

Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) slammed fellow Republicans that are stubbornly remaining in lockstep behind Donald Trump despite what she sees as his culpability for the events of January 6th.

Ever since the former president’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol one year ago in a violent attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat, Cheney has been one of the most strident right-wing figures holding Trump personally responsible for the riot. She continues to act as vice chairwoman for the House Select Committee on January 6th, though she has been ostracized by her congressional colleagues while the GOP remains in Trump’s grip.

To mark the anniversary of January 6th, Cheney sat with NBC’s Savannah Guthrie, where she remarked that “we came very close” to “the violent overthrow of a valid election” last year.

“Our institutions held, but they only held because of the people who were willing to stand up against the pressure from former President Trump,” Cheney said. “We came very close and we need to recognize how important it is that the system depends upon individuals and that we make sure that it never happens again.”

President Joe Biden is expected to give a commemorative speech later where he will talk about the fragile state of American democracy. Asked if she agrees with the premise, Cheney said that she does, and then she pointed to the GOP’s subservience to Trump and his false election claims.

If you look at what’s happening today in my party, in the Republican Party, rather than reject what happened on the 6th, reject the lies about the election, and make clear that a president who engaged in those activities can never be president again, unfortunately, too many in my own party are embracing that former president, are looking the other way, are minimizing the danger. That’s how democracies die and we simply cannot let that happen.

Watch above, via NBC.