About a month ago, Republican Rep. Dan Meuser dismissed speculation about President Joe Biden considering pre-emptive pardons as “nonsense.” He argued that such pardons were unnecessary, stating, “Nobody’s going to be going after Liz Cheney,” referring to the former House Republican Conference chair who co-led the bipartisan Jan. 6 committee.
However, two weeks later, Meuser’s GOP colleagues on the House Administration Committee formally requested an FBI investigation into Cheney. While the case against Cheney is not taken seriously by many, it highlights the ongoing desire within the party to target her.
Donald Trump has been particularly vocal in his criticism of Cheney. During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he stated that Cheney and her Jan. 6 committee colleagues “should go to jail.” He later suggested on social media that Cheney “could be in a lot of trouble,” referencing the FBI referral.
Trump’s frustration seemed to peak after President Joe Biden awarded Cheney the Presidential Citizens Medal. Trump accused Cheney of being “proven to be totally corrupt” and claimed she and her colleagues “destroyed and deleted all evidence from their crooked investigation of January 6th,” a claim that has been discredited.
In response to these accusations, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that the GOP-led chamber would continue investigating the Jan. 6 committee. Johnson claimed that the committee had manipulated and destroyed evidence to harm Trump, promising a fully funded investigation in the next Congress.
Despite previous investigations yielding no results, Johnson’s vow to continue probing the defunct committee appears to be an effort to gain far-right support ahead of a contentious vote on his political future.
Liz Cheney responded to Trump’s latest tirades by stating, “Donald, this is not the Soviet Union. You can’t change the truth and you cannot silence us.” She reminded him of his false claims about voting machines and election fraud, emphasizing that many of his lawyers have faced consequences for their actions.
