Rep. Liz Cheney: Donald Trump is ‘attempting to unravel our constitutional republic’

Escalating her war of words with former President Donald Trump, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) said on Sunday that his challenge to the 2020 election results poses the greatest threat to American democracy ever.

Cheney, who is on the House panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot said, “Only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. Today, that role is ours as we face a threat we have never faced before, a former president attempting to unravel our constitutional republic.”

Cheney gave her biggest warning about Trump while accepting the 2022 Profile In Courage Award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation Sunday. In her speech, Cheney quoted former presidents from JFK to Ronald Reagan heralding the nation’s history of peaceful transfers of power after elections.

“This sacred obligation to defend the peaceful transfer of power has been honored by every American president except one,” said Cheney.

She said that the bid by Trump and his supporters to challenge the election was an unprecedented threat that needs to be snuffed out without prejudice.

“At this moment we must all summon the courage to stand against that. The question for every one of us is in this time of testing, will we do our duty? Will we defend our Constitution? Will we stand for truth? Will we put duty to our oath above partisan politics? Or will we look away from danger, ignore the threat, embrace the lies, and enable the liar?” Cheney said

Cheney has led the effort to probe Trump’s responsibility for the Capitol riot and has put the blame on him for instigating it. As a result, Trump has moved to endorse Cheney’s primary challenger.

When asked why she is calling out Trump, Cheney has repeatedly said that somebody in the Republican leadership has to challenge him, and she did so again in her speech about JFK.

“The defense of our republic, the defense of the constitutional foundations of our nation have to matter. In a republic, there are no bystanders, there are no spectators. As citizens, every one of us has a duty to set aside partisan battles and stand together to perpetuate and preserve our great republic,” she said, adding, “we are engaged in a battle we must win, and with courage and clarity and grit, it is a battle we will win.”