Ensuring that Americans know the truth about former President Trump and protecting American democracy is a higher priority than maintaining a seat in the House, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.
Driving the news: Cheney, the vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee, is facing a tough election in Wyoming's Republican primary on Aug. 16, where she is polling significantly behind her Trump-endorsed primary opponent for the state's at-large House seat.
What they're saying: "I am working hard here in Wyoming to earn every vote, but I will also say this: I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to say things that aren't true about the election. My opponents are doing that, certainly, simply for the purpose of getting elected," Cheney said.
- "If I have to choose between maintaining a seat in the House of Representatives or protecting the constitutional republic and ensuring the American people know the truth about Donald Trump, I'm going to choose the Constitution and the truth every single day," she added.
- "I'm fighting hard, no matter what happens on Aug. 16, I'm going to wake up on Aug. 17 and continue to fight hard to ensure Donald Trump is never anywhere close to the Oval Office ever again."
- Asked by host Jake Tapper whether, if she loses her primary her work on the Jan. 6 committee will have been worth it, Cheney replied that "there's no question. I believe that my work on this committee is the single most important thing I've ever done professionally."
The big picture: Cheney has long been a fierce critic of Trump, and her criticism of the former president has made her a pariah within the House GOP — where she once was the highest-ranking female Republican — and in Wyoming, a state where her family has long been considered political nobility, Axios' Alayna Treene writes.
State of play: Last month, Cheney's campaign began urging Wyoming Democrats to switch parties to vote for her in the state's Republican primary.
- Cheney, who has previously acknowledged the possibility of a 2024 presidential run, reiterated her stance on CNN, saying she'll make a decision about 2024 "down the road."
