Former Rep. Liz Cheney (Republican of Wyoming) didn’t mince her words on Thursday about Republican Jim Jordan of Ohio, who is now running for the gavel after the showdown in which Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is running for the gavel Speakerhammer ran for office. ) deselected.
Speaking at the University of Minnesota, the former vice chairman of the House special committee tasked with investigating the January 6, 2021 insurrection, said Jordan was the leader among those aware of former President Donald Trump’s plans , clinging to power despite defeat in the 2020 election.
“Jim Jordan knew more about what Donald Trump had planned for January 6th than any other member of the House of Representatives,” Cheney said. “Jim Jordan was involved, was part of the conspiracy that Donald Trump was part of in trying to overturn the election.”
While Cheney said she doesn’t expect Jordan to win the upcoming contest, she said his possible ascension to the position would send a strong signal about where Republican loyalties lie.
“If they decided to do that, there would no longer be any way to argue that a group of elected Republicans could be relied upon to defend the Constitution,” she said.
Jordan has secured the support of Trump, who continues to exert influence over much of the Republican caucus.
“He will be a GREAT Speaker of the House,” Trump said of Jordan in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) is the only other member entering the contest so far, but others are expected to announce their candidacies as well.
Cheney also commented on McCarthy’s removal as speaker. She said Democrats made a “principled” decision when they decided not to save McCarthy’s job given his track record, pointing to McCarthy’s decision to stay with Trump and apologizing for Trump. All 208 Democrats and eight Republicans present voted to remove McCarthy.
Cheney said: “I think they did exactly the right thing, and it was a bold demonstration of their leadership.”