Liz Cheney delivered a blistering speech against Donald Trump during the final meeting of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot.
“January 6 2021 was the first time an American president refused his constitutional duty to transfer power peacefully to the next,” the outgoing Wyoming Republican said on Monday. “In our work over the last 18 months, the Select Committee has recognized our obligation to do everything we can to ensure this never happens again.”
“At the beginning of our investigation, we understood that tens of millions of Americans had been persuaded by President Trump that the 2020 election was stolen by overwhelming fraud,” she said. “And we also knew this was flatly false. We knew that dozens of state and federal judges had addressed and resolved all manner of allegations about the election.”
“Our legal system functioned as it should but our president would not accept the outcome. Among the most shameful of this committee's findings, was that President Trump sat in the dining room off the Oval Office watching the violent riot at the Capitol, on television for hours,” Ms Cheney added. “He would not issue a public statement instructing his supporters to disperse and leave the Capitol, despite urgent pleas from his White House staff and dozens of others to do so.”
“Members of his family, his White House lawyers, virtually all those around him knew that this simple act was critical. For hours, he would not do it,” she said.
“During this time, law enforcement agents were attacked and seriously injured. The capital was invaded, the electoral count was halted and the lives of those in the capital were put at risk,” Ms Cheney added. “In addition to being unlawful as described in our report. This was an utter moral failure and a clear dereliction of duty. Evidence of this can be seen in the testimony of President Trump's own White House counsel, and several other White House witnesses.”
“No man who would behave that way at that moment in time can ever serve in any position of authority in our nation again. He is unfit for any office,” she said.
“The committee recognizes that our work has only begun. It's only the initial step in addressing President Trump's effort to remain in office illegally. Prosecutors are considering the implications of the conduct that we described in our report as are citizens all across our nation,” the Republican added.
