A furious Donald Trump launched a direct attack on Liz Cheney, the Republican vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee, calling her a “despicable man,” denouncing her colleagues as “thugs” and complaining that they should investigate the actions of violent left-wing activists in his stead.
“Liz Cheney, who hates the great people of Wyoming (down 35!), says over and over again, that her fake, unselected commission might recommend criminal charges against the President of the United States who has won more than any president in history,” the visibly outraged former president wrote . “Even the Democrats didn’t know what she was talking about! Why not instead file charges against those who cheated in elections, or those who didn’t properly protect the Capitol?
“Why not the unselected party committee of political thugs, the same people (all the Trump haters and exploiters — books, speeches, etc.) , the greatest witch hunted in the history of the United States of America, tracked down the people who rioted, burned cities, drove the massive crime wave, and killed many across the United States, including drug dealers and human beings? No, let’s get Trump!”
Trump endorsed a Republican challenger to Cheney in her re-election race in Wyoming. His chosen one, Harriet Hageman, was one of several candidates to debate the incumbent last week at a meeting that saw the non-Cheney contenders endorse assorted lies and conspiracy theories about the January 6 riots, the 2020 election, and other topics.
Cheney is widely expected to lose the primaries because of Trump’s penchant for the Republican base, but she has raised massive amounts of money and reached out to Democrats in her state to re-register so they can vote for her in the Republican primary.
Trump initially refrained from commenting on the January 6 commission hearings, but has steadily grown angry as they unfolded. Reports say he is angry that there are no Republicans fighting on his side on the committee, even though it was minority leader Kevin McCarthy who withdrew from the seats of any member of his choosing.
Against the backdrop of recent testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Mark Meadows, several panelists – including Cheney – have made it clearer than ever that in their view, the evidence they have collected can support the criminal charges against Mr Trump.