Congresswoman Liz Cheney is out with her closing argument of the 2022 primary season as she heads for a likely defeat in the coming week.
The vice chair of the Jan 6 committee denounced the “poisonous lies” about the US’s elections systems that Donald Trump and his allies have spread since his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden and blamed them for “preying” on patriotic Americans.
The release of the ad comes as Ms Cheney is almost certain to lose her primary election against Harriet Hageman on Tuesday.
A poll released on Thursday by the University of Wyoming had Ms Cheney down almost 30 points to her challenger, an almost unheard-of margin for an incumbent.
If the final margin of her defeat is anywhere close to that result, it will signify just how strong Mr Trump’s hold over the GOP continues to be.
“History has shown us over and over again how these types of poisonous lies destroy free nations,” the Wyoming Republican can be heard saying in the ad.
“America cannot remain free if we abandon the truth. The lie that the 2020 presidential election is insidious. It preys on those who love their country,” she continues.
Ms Cheney is one of only two Republicans serving on the House select committee to investigate the Jan 6 insurrection after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy pulled the rest of his nominations from the panel in response to Democrats refusing to seat two members he had submitted.
Her GOP counterpart on the panel, Rep Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, has declined to even stand for reelection this year for fear of facing a Trump-backed primary challenge of his own.
Ms Cheney is thought to be laying the groundwork for a future presidential bid and has refused to rule out such ambitions in interviews with journalists.
