By Kerry Eleveld
Daily Kos StaffThe Republican Party has become such an existential threat to American democracy that former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming is using her national book tour to promote Democratic control of Washington.
“I believe very strongly in those principles and ideals that have defined the Republican Party, but
the Republican Party of today has made a choice and they haven’t chosen
the Constitution, and so I do think it presents a threat if the
Republicans are in the majority in January 2025,” Cheney told "CBS Sunday Morning."
Cheney, once the third-ranking Republican in the House, is methodically leveraging her national platform to pull back the curtain on her former colleagues in her new book, "Oath and Honor." In the CBS interview, Cheney said she “absolutely” considers House Speaker Mike Johnson a collaborator in Donald Trump’s coup plot, adding that Johnson knew that overturning the 2020 election would be wrong.
When CBS’ John Dickerson asked what would happen on Jan. 6, 2025, if Republicans were still to have the majority and Johnson is still speaker, Cheney wouldn't even entertain the scenario.
“He can’t be,” Cheney replied. “We are facing a situation with respect to the 2024 election where it’s an existential crisis, and we have to ensure that we don’t have a situation where an election that might be thrown into the House of Representatives is overseen by a Republican majority.”
Amen to that.
Cheney particularly called out former colleagues who once objected to Trump but now "embrace him" despite him being an even bigger threat to "our freedoms" now.
"I don't know how those people look themselves in the mirror in the morning," Cheney said.
This is exactly why Republicans ousted Cheney: She was a walking, talking mirror they had to face every day at their jobs. They simply couldn't allow her to remain, and it had nothing to do with their electoral fortunes.
Dickerson followed up on Cheney's point by specifically mentioning Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as someone who "understands the stakes of the presidency" since he sits on the Senate intelligence and foreign affairs committees.
"He knows better," Cheney replied, adding, “People whose families fled regimes like Castro's Cuba have a particular obligation" to safeguard American democracy.
"People who have fled tyranny and come to this country had this country to come to," Cheney pointed out, "and if we go down this path of the destruction of democracy in the United States, that means there's no place that's safe."
And in the event that Trump is the GOP's 2024 nominee, Cheney also effectively endorsed President Joe Biden's reelection by default.
“I will never vote for Donald Trump, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that Donald Trump is defeated," Cheney said.
“Including a vote for Biden?” NBC News' Savannah Guthrie responded.
“I will do whatever it takes."
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