>> 11th HOUR WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS
STARTS RIGHT NOW.
>>> GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN.
DAY 106 OF THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION.
WE NOW HAVE A MAJOR ESCALATION
IN THE BATTLE FOR CONTROL OF THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY.
WYOMING REPUBLICAN LIZ CHENEY
HAS GONE BEYOND PUBLICLY
CHALLENGING FORMER PRESIDENT
TRUMP OVER HIS FALSE CLAIMS OF
THE STOLEN 2020 ELECTION.
TONIGHT SHE IS FRAMING HER
CRITICISM AS A FIGHT FOR THE
FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY IN THE
NATION.
IN AN OPINION PIECE FOR THE
"WASHINGTON POST," CHENEY DRAWS
A DIRECT LINE FROM TRUMP TO THE
JANUARY 6th RIOT AND CALLS ON
HER PARTY TO REJECT TRUMPISM
WRITING THAT TRUMP IS SEEKING TO
UNRAVEL CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF OUR
CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM THAT MAKE
DEMOCRACY WORK.
NO OTHER AMERICAN PRESIDENT HAS
EVER DONE THIS.
IN THE IMMEDIATE WAKE OF THE
VIOLENCE OF JANUARY 6th, ALMOST
ALL OF US KNEW THE GRAVITY AND
THE CAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED.
WE HAD WITNESSED IT FIRSTHAND.
HISTORY IS WATCHING.
OUR CHILDREN ARE WATCHING.
WE MUST BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO
DEFEND THE BASIC PRINCIPLES THAT
UNDERPIN AND PROTECT OUR FREEDOM
AND OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
I AM COMMITTED TO DOING THAT NO
MATTER WHAT THE SHORT-TERM
POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES MAY BE.
AMONG THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES,
LIZ CHENEY’S REMOVAL AS CHAIR OF
THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE.
THE PARTY’S THIRD MOST POWERFUL
POST IN THAT CHAMBER.
SHE IS NOW UNDER SIEGE AND
CALLING OUT TRUMP.
TODAY THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL
HOUSE REPUBLICAN HAS JOINED
KEVIN McCARTHY IN BACKING THE
CONGRESSWOMAN STEFANIK OF NEW
YORK.
PRESIDENT TRUMP AGREES CALLING
STEFANIK A FAR CONSPIRE CHOICE.
SHE RESPONDED ON TWITTER
THANKING TRUMP FOR HIS 100%
SUPPORT.
THIS AFTERNOON PRESIDENT BIDEN
WAS ASKED ABOUT THE IMPLICATION
OF OUSTING LIZ CHENEY FROM HER
POST IN THE HOUSE.
>> WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A
SIGNIFICANT MINI REVOLUTION
GOING ON IN THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
WE BADLY NEED A REPUBLICAN
PARTY.
WE NEED A TWO PARTY SYSTEM.
IT IS NOT HEALTHY TO HAVE A ONE
PARTY SYSTEM.
I THINK THE REPUBLICANS ARE
FURTHER AWAY FROM TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT WHO THEY ARE AND WHAT
THEY STAND FOR.
>> MEANWHILE THE REPUBLICAN
LEADER IN THE SENATE MADE A
POINT OF AVOIDING ANY TYPE OF
RESPONSE ABOUT THE SITUATION IN
HIS PARTY.
>> ARE YOU GOING TO DO ANYTHING
TO HELP HER KEEP HER LEADERSHIP
POSITION AND ARE YOU CONCERNED
AT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY,
ACKNOWLEDGING IF THE ELECTION IS
VALUE CAN THREATEN YOUR POSITION
OF POWER.
>> 100% OF MY FOCUS IS ON
STOPPING THIS NEW
ADMINISTRATION.
>> ISN’T IT A CONCERN A SIZEABLE
IT SOUNDS GOOD.
IT APPEALS TO AN ELEMENTARY
UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT FREE
SPEECH MEANS.
>> CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT SPEAKS ABOUT
CONGRESS.
WHAT CONGRESS IS DOING RIGHT NOW
OR REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS, THEY
ARE ATTEMPTING TO SILENCE THE
SPEECH OF CONGRESSWOMAN CHENEY
WHO HAS SAID WHAT A LOT OF
PEOPLE BELIEVED.
THAT DONALD TRUMP INSTIGATED
MUCH OF WHAT HAPPENED ON JANUARY
6th ELEVATING INTO A SERIOUS
MATTER FOR REPUBLICANS
THREATENING THE STRUCTURE AND
THE FABRIC OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY IN CONGRESS.
>> YEAH.
IT DOES.
IT IS EASY TO TAKE THE LIZ
CHENEY/KEVIN McCARTHY STORY AS
ONE MORE MOMENT OF OUTRAGE SINCE
DONALD TRUMP HAS TAKEN HIS GRIP
ON THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
I THINK WE NEED TO APPLY THE
LONG LENS OF POLITICAL HISTORY
AND RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS
INTERESTING THE QUESTION THAT
MANY OF US HAD.
WHAT WOULD A POST TRUMP GOP LOOK
LIKE.
WOULD YOU SEE REPUBLICAN LEADERS
EMERGE AND TRY TO BRING THE
PARTY BACK FROM TRUMPISM.
THIS IS THE MOMENT WE KNOW IT IS
NOT THE CASE.
THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE
IS PREPARED TO OUST ONE OF HER
OWN LEADERS FOR HER REFUSAL TO
ACCEPT DONALD TRUMP’S BIG LIE
AND THE CONDEMNATION OF THE
BEHAVIOR THAT GOT HIM IMPEACHED.
ELISE STEFANI Ks FAR LESS
CONSERVATIVE THAN LIZ CHENEY.
LIZ CHENEY IS THE MORE
CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE BUT
STEFANIK AGREED TO BE A LAP DOG
FOR DONALD TRUMP.
THAT IS THE SINGLE QUALIFIER TO
MAKE HER ELIGIBLE TO BE ELEVATED
IN THE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE
JUST AS THEY ARE PREPARED TO
KICK OUT LIZ CHENEY.
>> THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING
POINT FOR PEOPLE THAT DO NOT
KNOW ELISE STEFANIK.
SHE HASN’T VOTED ALONG LINES OF
PRESIDENT TRUMP MORE OFTEN THAN
NOT.
TAKING STANDS TO THE LEFT OR NOT
TO THE RIGHT OF LIZ CHENEY.
CAROL, I WANT TO READ FROM WHAT
LIZ CHENEY WROTE TODAY IN THE
"WASHINGTON POST" IN WHICH SHE
IS NOT SHYING AWAY FROM HER
POSITION.
I AM A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN
AND THE MOST CONSERVATIVE OF
CONSERVATIVE VALUES IS REVERENCE
FOR THE RULE OF LAW.
A COMMITMENT TO THE PEACEFUL
TRANSFER OF POWER IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE LAW.
PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN
DESCRIBED IT AS OUR AMERICAN MIRACLE.
THERE IS MUCH AT STAKE NOW.
CAROL, THAT LAST SENTENCE THERE,
THE ONLY CONCESSION THAT LIZ
CHENEY MADE TO FIGHTING THE
LEFT.
MOST OF HER OP-ED PUB
ACCOMPLISHED IN THE "WASHINGTON
POST" WAS REALLY A CRITICISM OF
REPUBLICANS.
>> WELL, YES ALI.
BUT IT IS A FULL-HEARTED EMBRACE
OF WHAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
WAS.
WHAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WAS IS
NOT THAT ANYBODY PROMISING
ENDLESS FIELTY TO DONALD TRUMP.
THAT WAS NOT THE MEASURE OF WHAT
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WAS.
AND IT SORT OF, I THINK THE
INFLECTION POINT THAT DAVE
POINTS OUT IS EXACTLY APT.
THE OTHER THING THAT IS STRIKING
AND CHILLING REALLY WELL LIZ
CHENEY’S STATEMENT IS HER POINT.
HISTORY IS WATCHING.
IF WE ARE NOT GOING TO IT BE
ABLE TO BE TRUTHFUL WITH VOTERS.
IF REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES AND
ELECTED LEADERS ARE NOT GOING TO
BE ABLE TO BE TRUTHFUL ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE ELECTION,
THEN REALLY WHERE ARE WE.
WHAT IS FASCINATING IS THAT
McCARTHY HAS CHOSEN ENDLESSLY,
SINCE THE DEPARTURE OF DONALD
TRUMP TO SUPPORT AND BACK HIM.
WE KNOW FROM REPORTING THAT
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH
McCONNELL IS PRETTY FED UP WITH
DONALD TRUMP TRYING TO GIDDY UP,
YOU KNOW, HARNESS THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY AND TAKE IT FOR HIS OWN.
YET EVEN TODAY YOU SEE SENATOR
MAJORITY McCONNELL BASICALLY
DODGING THE QUESTION BECAUSE SO
MANY VOTERS AND PEOPLE BELIEVE
THE TRUMPET CALL OF DONALD
TRUMP.
7 OF 10 REPUBLICAN VOTERS
BELIEVE THE ELECTION WAS RIGGED
EVEN THOUGH THE DONALD TRUMP
ADMINISTRATIONS TOP EXPERTS IN
ELECTION SECURITY SAID THAT IT
WAS THE MOST SECURE IN HISTORY.
THEY AUDITED IT AND VERIFIED IT.
IT WAS DONALD TRUMP’S EXPERTS IN
HIS DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY THAT VERIFIED THIS.