Liz Cheney lays out how Trump watched and did nothing as the Capitol was attacked
The House panel investigating the Capitol attack on Jan 6th has first-hand testimony that Donald Trump was watching the horror unfold on television in his dining room, instead of taking any immediate action.
Rep. Liz Cheney, Vice chair of the panel said to the ABC News, “We are learning much more about what former President Trump was doing while the violent assault was underway. The committee has firsthand testimony now that he was sitting in the dining room next to the Oval Office watching the attack on television as the assault on the Capitol occurred. We know, as you know well, that the briefing room at the White House is just a mere few steps from the Oval Office. The president could have at any moment walked those very few steps into the briefing room, gone on live television, and told his supporters who were assaulting the Capitol to stop. He could have told them to stand down. He could have told them to go home, and he failed to do so.”
Here is Liz Cheney on ABC News issuing some very bad news for Trump:
Prior to these findings, there were relevant reports which suggested that Trump watched the riot, without any thought of intervention. Cheney called this a “dereliction of duty”. They have firsthand testimony that Trump’s staff and his daughter, Ivanka Trump pleaded to him at least twice to stop the violence. Post reporter Carol Leonnig, described Trump as ‘almost giddy’ while watching the horror unfold.
It was only hours after the riot that Trump released a video telling his supporters to go home and also told them, “We love you, you’re very special.” Later, Facebook and Twitter suspended his accounts to prevent further escalation of the violence.
The House panel tweeted on Monday, “It took Trump 187 minutes to make a statement calling off the mob that attacked our Capitol.”
Cheney also said in an interview in “This Week” with anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that, “When a president refuses to tell the mob to stop, when he refuses to defend any of the coordinate branches of government, he cannot be trusted.” She also added that the Republican party has to make a choice. They can either be “loyal to our Constitution or loyal to Donald Trump, but we cannot be both.”
She also said that her party has a certain duty to not only reject Jan 6. Attack but to also make sure that Donald Trump is not a nominee and “that he’s never anywhere close to the reins of power ever again.”
Cheney’s warnings and dialogues should be quite clear for her Party. Since Biden’s win, Trump has been claiming electoral frauds where there is clear evidence that there was not. In a Washington Post- University of Maryland poll, 62% of the respondents said that there was widespread electoral fraud in 2020. In addition, 58% of the Republicans said that Biden was not legitimately elected. However, there is widespread indication, with evidence that the Republicans are doing everything they can to put Trump in power. And also displacing those who defy him. For example, Cheney who spoke against Trump regarding the Jan 6 riot was removed from her party leadership position. Trump is also aggressively targeting all 10 of the House officials who voted to impeach him. Republicans are also slowly paving their way around important official and government positions, which will give them assurance of victory in the next elections.
Cheney agreed with Hilary Clinton, when she said that Trump’s victory in the next elections could be “the end of our democracy”. When asked by Stephanopoulos if Cheney shares that fear, she said, “I do.”
After all, there’s no reason to not fear. Majority of the Republicans are hoping Trump runs for the Presidency again. Looks like they have already chosen their side and are turning a blind eye to every horror in front.