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>> Chris: HOUSE REPUBLICANS
VOTED THIS WEEK TO REMOVE LIZ
CHENEY AS CONFERENCE CHAIR FOR
HER REFUSAL TO STOP ATTACKING
FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP, BUT SHE
SAYS IT WON’T STOP HER FROM
RUNNING FOR REELECTION OR
FIGHTING FOR THE FUTURE OF THE
G.O.P.
AND JOINING US NOW FROM
CHEYENNE, WYOMING, CONGRESSWOMAN
CHENEY.
CONGRESSWOMAN, I WANT TO START
WITH THE DECISION BY THE HOUSE
REPUBLICAN CAUCUS TO REMOVE YOU
THIS WEEK.
WE HAD CONGRESSMAN JIM BANKS,
THE HEAD OF THE REPUBLICAN STUDY
COMMITTEE, ON THE SHOW LAST
SUNDAY AND HERE’S WHAT HE SET
ABOUT THIS.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> WE SHOULDN’T BE TALKING ABOUT
LIZ CHENEY, WE SHOULD BE TALKING
ABOUT PUSHING BACK AGAINST THE
RADICAL BIDEN AGENDA AND THIS IS
ALL A DISTRACTION FROM OUR
ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
>> Chris: BANKS WAS SAYING
WITH REPUBLICANS SO CLOSE TO
WINNING BACK THE HOUSE IN THE
MIDTERMS NEXT YEAR, THAT THE
FOCUS SHOULD BE ON WHAT UNITES
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WHICH IS
OPPOSITION TO THE BIDEN AGENDA
AND NOT PICKING FIGHTS WITH A
FORMER PRESIDENT WHO IS NOW
LIVING IN MAR-A-LAGO NEAR
PALM BEACH.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THAT THINKING?
>> Congresswoman Cheney: WELL,
I THINK IT IS ABSOLUTELY THE
CASE THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THE
STRONGEST POSITION POSSIBLE
GOING FORWARD SO WE CAN TAKE
BACK THE HOUSE, THE SENATE, AND
THE WHITE HOUSE.
THE ISSUE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE
CANNOT DO THAT IF WE ARE
EMBRACING THE BIG LIE, IF WE ARE
EMBRACING WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
PRESIDENT TRUMP -- FORMER
PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUES TO SAY
ON A NEARLY DAILY BASIS, WHICH
IS CLAIMS THAT THE ELECTION WAS
STOLEN USING THE SAME LANGUAGE
HE USED THAT HE KNOWS PROVOKE
VIOLENCE ON JANUARY 6TH.
IN ORDER FOR US TO BE IN THE
STRONGEST POSSIBLE POSITION TO
BE ABLE TO PREVAIL, TO BE ABLE
TO DEFEAT THE IDEAS THAT WE SEE
COMING FROM THE OTHER SIDE THAT
ARE REALLY BAD FOR THE COUNTRY,
WE HAVE TO BE A PARTY THAT’S
BASED ON A FOUNDATION OF TRUTH
AND I’M NOT WILLING TO BE
COMPLICIT OR SILENT IN THE FACE
OF THOSE LIES COMING FROM
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
>> Chris: BUT I GUESS THE
ARGUMENT IS JUST AS A PRACTICAL
POLITICIAN, AND YOU ARE A
PRACTICAL POLITICIAN, WHAT ABOUT
THE MILLIONS -- TENS OF MILLIONS
OF REPUBLICAN VOTERS WHO STILL
SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP?
WHY ALIENATE THEM?
I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, YOU
KNOW, JUST IGNORE THEM, DON’T
TAKE THE BAIT AND FOCUS ON YOUR
ISSUES.
HE IS LIVING IN MAR-A-LAGO.
>> Congresswoman Cheney: WELL,
YOU KNOW, I WISH WE COULD DO
THAT, CHRIS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY
AS I’VE SAID OVER THE COURSE OF
THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, FORMER
PRESIDENT TRUMP CONTINUES TO BE
A REAL DANGER.
WHAT HE’S DOING AND WHAT HE’S
SAYING, HIS CLAIMS, HIS REFUSAL
TO ACCEPT DECISIONS BY THE
COURTS, HIS CLAIMS CONTINUED AS
RECENTLY AS YESTERDAY THAT
SOMEHOW THIS ELECTION WAS
STOLEN.
YOU KNOW, WHAT HE’S DOING IS
HE’S CAUSING PEOPLE TO BELIEVE
THAT THEY CAN’T COUNT ON OUR
ELECTORAL PROCESS TO ACTUALLY
CONVEY THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE A NATION
OF LAWS.
IF YOU CONTINUE TO REJECT -- IF
YOU REJECT THE RULINGS OF THE
COURTS, IF YOU WORK AGAINST THE
RULINGS OF OUR COURTS, THEN YOU
REALLY ARE AT WAR WITH THE
CONSTITUTION AND HE IS A
CONTINUING DANGER TO OUR SYSTEM.
THOSE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT
YOU MENTIONED WHO SUPPORTED THE
PRESIDENT HAVE BEEN MISLED.
THEY’VE BEEN BETRAYED.
AND CERTAINLY AS WE SEE HIS
CONTINUED ACTION TO ATTACK OUR
DEMOCRACY, HIS CONTINUED REFUSAL
TO ACCEPT THE RESULTS OF THE
LAST ELECTION, YOU SEE THAT
ONGOING DANGER.
>> Chris: CONGRESSWOMAN ELISE
STEFANIK WAS ELECTED ON FRIDAY
TO REPLACE YOU AS THE NUMBER
THREE REPUBLICAN IN THE HOUSE
LEADERSHIP AND SHE WASTED VERY
LITTLE TIME IN SAYING WHAT SHE
THINKS ABOUT ALL THIS.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> I SUPPORT PRESIDENT TRUMP.
VOTERS SUPPORT PRESIDENT TRUMP,
HE IS AN IMPORTANT VOICE IN OUR
REPUBLICAN PARTY AND WE LOOK
FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HIM.
>> Chris: WHAT TO THINK OF
STEFANIK?
>> Congresswoman Cheney: WELL,
I THINK SHE’S WRONG.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A FORMER
PRESIDENT WHO DID WHAT
DONALD TRUMP DID, WHO PROVOKED
AN ATTACK ON OUR CAPITAL TO TRY
AND STOP THE COUNTING OF
ELECTORAL VOTES TO TRY TO STEAL
THE ELECTION, A FORMER PRESIDENT
WHO CONTINUES TO THREATEN A
DEMOCRACY IN THE WAY THAT HE IS,
HE IS --
>> Chris: LET ME JUST
INTERRUPT.
I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU, I
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT
TRUMP, I’M ASKING ABOUT STEFANIK
STEFANIK, WHO IS EMBRACING,
WRAPPING HERSELF IN THE MANTLE
OF DONALD TRUMP.
YOU SAID TO PLAY ALONG WITH THE
BIG LIE IS TO BETRAY REPUBLICAN
VOTERS.
ISSUE BETRAYING REPUBLICAN
VOTERS?
>> Congresswoman Cheney: YOU
KNOW, WHAT I SAID IN MY LAST
REMARKS TO THE CONFERENCE AS
CHAIRWOMAN OF THE CONFERENCE WAS
THAT IF THEY WERE LOOKING FOR
LEADERS WHO WOULD BE COMPLICIT
IN SPREADING THE BIG LIE, I
WASN’T THERE PERSON, THAT THERE
WERE PLENTY OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT
WOULD DO THAT.
I THINK THAT THAT’S -- IT IS
FUNDAMENTALLY DANGEROUS, I THINK
IT’S WRONG AND I THINK AS
REPUBLICANS ESPECIALLY WE HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY TO STAND UP AND
TO SAY WE BELIEVE IN THE
CONSTITUTION, WE WILL FIGHT FOR
THAT, WE WILL FIGHT FOR THE RULE
OF LAW AND TO BUILD A FOUNDATION
SO THAT WE CAN GET BACK TO
VOTERS WE LOST IN 2020.
I MEAN, THAT IS REALLY A KEY
HERE.
WE LOST THE HOUSE, THE SENATE,
AND THE WHITE HOUSE WHILE
DONALD TRUMP WAS PRESIDENT.
WE GOT TO GET VOTERS BACK SO WE
CAN GET REPUBLICANS BACK INTO
POSITION WHERE OUR POLICIES ARE
THE ONES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, IN
PLACE, THAT FRANKLY ARE THE ONES
THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR THE
FUTURE OF THE NATION.
>> Chris: DURING YOUR ROUND OF
INTERVIEWS THIS WEEK, YOU WERE
ALSO ASKED ABOUT HOUSE
REPUBLICAN LEADER KEVIN
McCARTHY AND HERE’S WHAT YOU
HAD TO SAY ABOUT HIM.
>> I THINK THAT HE IS NOT
LEADING WITH PRINCIPAL RIGHT
NOW.
AND I THINK THAT IT IS -- IT’S
SAD AND I THINK IT’S DANGEROUS.
>> Chris: WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
HIM BEING DANGEROUS IN THE WAY
HE’S LEADING THE PARTY, AND I
ASK THIS ABOUT BOTH McCARTHY
AND ELISE STEFANIK.
ARE THEY BEING COMPLICIT IN WHAT
YOU CONSIDER THE TRUMP LIES?
>> Congresswoman Cheney: THEY
ARE.
AND I’M NOT WILLING TO DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THERE ARE
SOME THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE
BIGGER THAN PARTY, BUT HAVE TO
BE BIGGER THAN PARTISANSHIP, OUR
OATH TO THE CONSTITUTION IS ONE
OF THOSE.
I’VE SEEN COUNTRIES, I’VE WORKED
IN COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD
YOU DON’T HAVE A PEACEFUL
TRANSITION OF POWER.
WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH
DONALD TRUMP AND HIS CONTINUED
ATTACKS ON THE CONSTITUTION AND
THE RULE OF LAW IS DANGEROUS AND
WE ALL HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO
STAND UP AGAINST THAT.
>> Chris: YOU ALSO SAY THAT
KEVIN McCARTHY SHOULD TESTIFY,
BUT WHAT IT APPEARS IS GOING TO
BE A NEW COMMISSION TO
INVESTIGATE THE RIOT ON JANUARY
JANUARY 6TH AND SHOULD TESTIFY
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE
CONVERSATION HE HAD WITH THE
PRESIDENT ON THAT DAY WHERE HE
REPORTEDLY CALLED THE PRESIDENT
AND SAID YOU’VE GOT TO CALL THE
SOFT THE PRESIDENT SAID KEVIN,
IT APPEARS SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE
INTERESTED IN THIS ELECTION THAN
YOU ARE.
I ASKED CONGRESSMAN McCARTHY
ABOUT THAT A COUPLE OF WEEKS
AGO.
TAKE A LOOK AT THAT EXCHANGE.
>> HAS THE PRESIDENT EVER
REACHED OUT TO SINCE THAT REPORT
CAME OUT TO DISCUSS WHAT YOU AND
HE TALKED ABOUT IN THE
JANUARY 6TH PHONE CALL AND DID
YOU SAY TO HIM I CAN’T BECAUSE
WE ARE UNDER OATH?
>> NO.
>> THAT NEVER HAPPENED?
>> NEVER EVEN CLOSE.
>> AND IF IT DID HAPPEN YOU
AGREE THAT WOULD BE WITNESS
TAMPERING?
>> YEAH, BUT IT NEVER HAPPENED.
>> Chris: CONGRESSWOMAN, DO
YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT,
WHETHER OR NOT KEVIN McCARTHY
AND DONALD TRUMP TALKED IN THE
PRESIDENT -- STORY STRAIGHT
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN
JANUARY 6TH PHONE CALL?
>> Congresswoman Cheney:
LEADER McCARTHY HAS SPOKEN TO
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN LARGE
GROUPS AND SMALL GROUPS SINCE
THE SIXTH ABOUT HIS EXCHANGES
WITH THE PRESIDENT.
HE HAS SPOKEN PUBLICLY ON THE
HOUSE FLOOR ABOUT HIS VIEW AS
PRESIDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY.
I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT
HE CLEARLY HAS FACTS ABOUT THAT
DAY THAT AN INVESTIGATION INTO
WHAT HAPPENED, INTO THE
PRESIDENT’S ACTIONS, OUGHT TO
GET TO THE BOTTOM OF ANY THINK
HE HAS IMPORTANT INFORMATION
THAT NEEDS TO BE PART OF ANY
INVESTIGATION, WHETHER IT’S THE
FBI, THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE,
OR THIS COMMISSION THAT I HOPE
WILL BE SET UP.
>> Chris: WHAT YOU THINK THAT
ACCOMPLISHES?
IF HE TESTIFIES BEFORE THE
COMMISSION -- I MEAN, I
UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN ABOUT
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND WHAT YOU SAY
ARE HIS LIES ABOUT THE ELECTION,
BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK IT DOES TO
ACCOMPLISH -- A CONVERSATION
ABOUT JANUARY 6TH, DO THINK THAT
RAISES ISSUES ABOUT
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S OR SPONSOR
ABILITY FOR THE RIDE, WHETHER OR
NOT HE’S TRYING TO TAMPER WITH
KEVIN McCARTHY AS A WITNESS?
>> Congresswoman Cheney:
CERTAINLY.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT ANY
CONVERSATIONS -- AND WE KNOW
CERTAINLY THAT THAT CONVERSATION
HAPPENED.
ANY CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE GONE
ON WITH THE PRESIDENT ABOUT THE
PRESIDENT’S POTENTIAL
INVOLVEMENT IN JANUARY 6TH, HIS
POTENTIAL DETERMINATION NOT TO
STEP IN AND OFFER ASSISTANCE,
ANY CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE TO
DO WITH, YOU KNOW, ANY MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS, THOSE PEOPLE WHO
MAY BE RETIRED.
WE KNOW THAT THERE WERE
CONVERSATIONS IN THE OVAL OFFICE
BEFORE THIS ABOUT THE
POSSIBILITY OF DECLARING MARTIAL
LAW AND SEASON, YOU KNOW,
ELECTION -- SEIZING THE BALLOT
MACHINES.
SO I THINK THAT ALL OF THIS
REALLY POINTS TO WHY IT’S SO
IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A
COMMISSION.
DONE THAT AFTER PEARL HARBOR, WE
DID IT AFTER THE KENNEDY
ASSASSINATION, WE DID IT AFTER
9/11.
IT’S A WAY THAT WE AS A COUNTRY
COME TOGETHER IN A NONPARTISAN
FASHION TO UNDERSTAND WHAT
HAPPENED, TO GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF IT.
IT MUST HAVE SUBPOENA POWER AND
TO BEGIN TO TAKE STEPS TO ENSURE
THAT IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.
>> Chris: I’VE GOT ABOUT A
MINUTE LEFT, CONGRESSWOMAN.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOU,
FINALLY.
YOU WERE ON TRACK TO PERHAPS
SOMEDAY BE THE SPEAKER OF THE
HOUSE.
NOW THAT’S OVER, YOU’VE BEEN
REMOVED FROM LEADERSHIP.
YOUR REELECTION NEXT YEAR IN
WYOMING IS AT LEAST IN QUESTION.
I GUESS THE QUESTION I HAVE FOR
YOU IS, ARE YOU PREPARED TO MAKE
THIS, POLITICALLY, THE HILL
YOU’RE PREPARED TO DIE ON?
>> Congresswoman Cheney: LOOK,
I CANNOT IMAGINE A MORE
IMPORTANT ISSUE THAN WHETHER OR
NOT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS
GOING TO BE A PARTY THAT
EMBRACES AND DEFENDS THE RULE OF
LAW AND THE CONSTITUTION.
AND I AM FIRMLY COMMITTED TO
BEING PART OF LEADING THIS PARTY
BACK TO A PLACE WHERE WE BELIEVE
AND ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF
POLICIES AND SUBSTANCE, WHERE WE
LAY OUT AN AGENDA THAT HELPS TO
ATTRACT VOTERS BACK TO THE
PARTY, WHERE WE MOVE AWAY FROM
THIS LOYALTY THAT SO MANY
PARTICULARLY IN OUR HOUSE
LEADERSHIP NOW HAVE APPARENTLY
PLEDGED TO DONALD TRUMP.
THE PRESIDENT WHO PROVOKED THE
ATTACK ON THE CAPITAL AND WHO
REFUSED TO SEND HELP, SO I THINK
THAT WHAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE
COURSE OF THE LAST COUPLE OF
WEEKS IS REALLY THE OPENING
SALVO IN WHAT IS A BATTLE FOR
THE SOUL OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY, A BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF
OUR DEMOCRACY AND I INTEND TO
PLAY A VERY BIG ROLE IN THAT, TO
DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO HELP
ENSURE THAT WE CAN RESTORE OUR
PARTY.