Attack on Capitol: Cheney says Republicans should choose between Trump and reality | Attack of the US Capitol

[ad_1]

On a day of disturbing polls about attitudes to political violence and fear for U.S. democracy, and as the first anniversary of the Capitol attack approaches, a Republican House committee member investigating the events on January 6, 2021 there was a stern warning for his party.

“Our party has to choose,” Liz Cheney told CBS’s Face the Nation. “We can be loyal to Donald Trump or we can be loyal to the constitution, but we can’t be the same.”

Trump supporters attacked Congress in an attempt to prevent certification of his defeat by Joe Biden, which Trump maintains as no evidence was the result of electoral fraud. Five people were killed in a riot in which a mob roamed the Capitol, looking for lawmakers to catch and possibly kill.

On Sunday, Cheney and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the committee chairman, re -discussed the possibility of a criminal referral for Trump because of his failure to try to stop the riot or for his obstruction of the investigation.

Speaking on ABC’s This Week, Cheney said that there are “potential criminal laws in question here, but I think there’s really no question that this is a disregard of duty. And I think one of the things the committee needs to look at are… a legal goal, is whether we need enhanced penalties for that kind of neglect. ”

Thompson said subpoenas could be served on Republicans in Congress who refuse to comply with information requests of the kind that led to a criminal defamation case in Congress for Steve Bannon, Trump’s former strategist, and a recommendation. of such a charge for Mark Meadows, Trump’s Chief of staff.

The Democrat told NBC’s Meet the Press that the committee was reviewing whether it could issue subpoenas to members of Congress, immediately Jim Jordan of Ohio and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.

“I think there are some questions if we have the authority to do this,” Thompson said. “If the authorities are there, there is no hesitation on our part.”

Last month, the committee asked Jordan for testimony about talks with Trump on Jan. 6. Jordan told Fox News he had “real concerns” about the panel’s credibility.

Perry sought testimony about attempts to replace Jeffrey Rosen, acting head of the justice department, with Jeffrey Clark, an official who tried to help overthrow Trump’s defeat.

Perry called the committee “illegitimate, and not duly constituted.” A court has ruled that the panel is legitimate and has the right to see the White House records Trump is trying to protect, an argument that has already reached the supreme court.

Sunday saw a rash of polls that marked the January 6th anniversary.

CBS found that 68% of Americans saw the Capitol attack as a sign of rising political violence, and 66% thought democracy itself was in danger.

When respondents were asked whether violence was justified to achieve various political goals, the poll returned an average of approximately 30%. A survey by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland said more than a third of Americans said violence against the government could be justified.

ABC News and Ipsos found that 52% of Republicans said Capitol rioters were trying to protect democracy.

The other poll showed a clear majority among Republicans in believing Trump’s lies about electoral fraud and distrust of federal elections.

On CNN’s State of the Union, Larry Hogan, Maryland governor and a moderate Republican with an eye on the presidential nomination, said: “Honestly, it’s insane that so many people believe things that aren’t really true.

“There’s been an amazing amount of disinformation that has spread over the past year. And a lot of people are consuming that disinformation and believing it as if it’s the truth. Come to think of it, the violent protesters who attacked the Capitol, our seat of democracy, on January 6 were tourists looking at the statues? It’s insane that anyone can watch that on television and believe that’s what happened. “

Cheney told CBS that the blame lay with his own party.

“So many Republicans are trying to condone the former president, embrace the former president or look the other way and hope the former president leaves, or try to block the activities of this committee, but we can’t be stopped. At the end of the day, the truth matters, the truth matters. ”

Her host, Margaret Brennan, pointed out that Republicans across the U.S., some of the states which have denied Trump’s attempt to steal the election, are changing election laws to their advantage.

“We need to be grounded in the rule of law,” Cheney said. “We need to be the basis of constitutional integrity… So I think for people across the country, they need to recognize how important their vote is for their voices. They need to pick serious people who will defend the constitution, not just do Donald Trump’s bidding.

Cheney is faced with a major challenger making Trump’s bid and enjoying his support. Another Republican on the Jan. 6 committee, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, will retire in November instead of fighting such a battle himself.

Cheney said he is “confident that the people of Wyoming will not choose allegiance to someone as dangerous as Donald Trump”, and that he will secure the election again.

It is also noteworthy that he did not refuse when asked if he would run against Trump if he would seek the nomination next time.

On ABC, Cheney was asked if he agreed with Hillary Clinton, who said a second Trump presidency could end U.S. democracy.

“I am,” Cheney said. “I think it is critically important, given everything we know about the lines that he was willing to cross.

“… We entrust the safety of our republic into the hands of the chief executive, and when a president refuses to tell the mob to stop, when he refuses to defend any branch of government, he cannot be trusted.”

[ad_2]