Cheney: Americans "can’t count” on GOP in Congress to defend the constitution
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The current Republican majority serving in the House can't be trusted to defend the constitution, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) warned during an interview on ABC's "This Week" that aired Sunday.
Driving the news: Cheney is among several potential 2024 contenders weighing third-party bids for the White House, though critics worry that such bids could help hand the election to former President Trump.
- Speaking about the 2024 candidate slate, which already includes several independent bids, Cheney highlighted the existence of a "fractured electorate."
- ABC's Jonathan Karl, in turn, pointed out that a fractured electorate could translate to no single candidate emerging victorious in the electoral college, which would throw the election to the House of Representatives, which currently boasts a Republican majority.
State of play: This possibility underscores the "crucially important" need to "elect candidates who believe in the constitution" during the next election, Cheney said.
- "I expressed my view that having Mike Johnson as speaker, and having this Republican majority in charge, you can't count on them to defend the constitution at this moment," she added.
- Earlier this week, Cheney told CNN that Johnson posed a "significant threat" to democracy in light of his actions to lead an amicus brief signed by more than 100 House Republicans supporting a Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 election results in four swing states.
Zoom out: Cheney was a longtime vocal critic of Trump and was ultimately booted from her leadership position in the Republican party as a result of her views.
- Asked about a potential 2024 run, Cheney reiterated that she is considering her options.
- "Certainly I'm not going to do something that has the impact of helping Donald Trump," she told ABC.
