Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) is expressing concern about the Republican candidates running for governor and secretary of state in Arizona as she believes they are a major risk to democracy.
Speaking at an event organized by the McCain Institute at Arizona State University, Cheney weighed in on Arizona candidates Kari Lake and Mark Finchem. According to Cheney, they are leading the pack of Republican candidates that may not accept unfavorable election results.
"In Arizona today you have a candidate for governor in Kari Lake, you have a candidate for Secretary of State in Mark Finchem, both of whom have said — this isn't a surprise, it's not a secret — they both said that they will only honor the results of an election if they agree with it," Cheney told the audience of college students.
Cheney noted that both candidates witnessed what transpired following the 2020 presidential election where Trump lost in the state of Arizona. Although the election results were legitimate, that didn't stop the fight to overturn the outcome.
"They've looked at all of that, the law, the facts and the rulings, the courts, and they've said it doesn't matter to them," Cheney said. "And if you care about democracy, and you care about the survival of our republic, then you need to understand, we all have to understand, that we cannot give people power who have told us that they will not honor elections."
The Wyoming lawmaker went on to emphasize why this time period is so critical in America. Although there have been other bouts throughout United States history, democracy has never been under attack like this.
"The first thing that we have to understand is that we've never been where we are," Cheney said. "We've never been in a phase, a place where we're facing this kind of a threat. And that's because we're facing a threat from a former president who is attempting to unravel the Republic."
According to Cheney, the fragility of America's democracy should be taken seriously. "And I think I knew on some level that even in the United States this was fragile," she said. "But I certainly didn't understand just how fragile. I think that's such an important lesson that we need to take from history."
She explained the sacrifice required to effectively protect America's democracy. "And that means that you put your love of country above politics, you put it above your political career," she said.
