>>> WELCOME TO THURSDAY.
IT IS "MEET THE PRESS DAILY" AND
I’M CHUCK TODD.
NONE OF THIS WE SAY LIGHTLY.
TODAY APPEARS TO BE THE DAY YOU
CAN MARK IN YOUR CALENDARS AS
THE DAY THAT REPRESENTS THE
REPUBLICAN PARTY’S COMPLETE AND
TOTAL SURRENDER TO DONALD TRUMP.
WHETHER IT’S THE PAESHT’S REVOLT
AGAINST LIZ CHENEY IN WASHINGTON
OR NEW VOTING RESTRICTIONS
THEY’RE CELEBRATING IN FLORIDA
AND TEXAS OR BIZARRE AUDIT
THAT’S PLAYING OUT OF
PRESIDENTIAL RESULTS IN THE
STATE OF ARIZONA, THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY SURRENDERED TO A LIE, AS
IT SURRENDERS TO TRUMP.
LET’S NOT MINCE WORDS, IT MEANS
THE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY IS IN
REALLY BIG TROUBLE, MORE SO
TODAY THAN IT WAS YESTERDAY.
THE NUMBER THREE HOUSE
REPUBLICAN LISTS CHENEY AS THE
NUMBER THREE REPUBLICAN BEING
OUSTED FROM LEADERSHIP FOR THE
SIN OF SPEAKING OUT AGAINST HER
PARTY’S EMBRACE OF THE FORMER
PRESIDENT’S OUTLIE LIE THAT
SOMEHOW THE ELECTION WAS STOLEN
FROM HIM.
AND IT’S NOT JUST WHY SHE’S
BEING OUSTED THAT’S SO ALARMING,
THERE’S ALSO THE WAY THE MOB
RULE REPUBLICANS ARE ABSURDLY
RATIONALIZING IT.
THEY CLAIM CHENEY IS OUT OF STEP
WITH THE PARTY, THAT SHE’S STUCK
IN THE PAST, THAT SHE WON’T STOP
TALKING ABOUT THE 2020 ELECTION
RESULTS.
AS IF SHE’S THE ONE LOOKING FOR
BAMBOO FIBERS IN ARIZONA.
IT’S PRETTY CLEAR WHAT THEY
REALLY MEAN IS SHE’S OUT OF STEP
WITH THE PARTY’S EMBRACE OF
TRUMP’S LIES ABOUT THOSE
ELECTION RESULTS, THAT’S IT,
WHICH HE AND MANY IN THE PARTY
WON’T STOP TALKING ABOUT.
IT’S NOT LIZ CHENEY THAT KEEPS
BRINGING IT UP, IT’S DONALD J.
TRUMP.
IN FACT, HE’S ALREADY PUT OUT
TWO STATEMENTS TODAY THAT
REINFORCE THESE LIES THAT HE’S
TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO BELIEVE,
THAT HE’S TRYING TO BULLY THE
PARTY INTO ACCEPTING, INCLUDING
A VERY DETAILED STATEMENT
EXPLICITLY REITERATING THIS
BELIEF IN A DOCUMENTED, PROVEN
LIE.
THIS MORNING IN A HOTEL BALLROOM
NOT FAR FROM MAR-A-LAGO, FLORIDA
GOVERNOR RON DeSANTIS MADE A
"FOX & FRIENDS" SKEPTICAL OUT OF
SIGNING NEW RESTRICTIONS IN A
STATE THAT HAD NO REASONS TO DO
THIS OTHER THAN DONALD TRUMP
DESIRED IT.
PUSHING BALLOT RESTRICTIONS THAT
ARE BASED AGAIN ON THESE MYTHS
PERPETRATED BY TRUMP ON THE
ISSUE OF SUPPOSED VOTER FRAUD.
ADD IT ALL UP AND IT’S PRETTY
CLEAR WHAT’S LEFT OF THE
CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT THAT WAS
ONCE BASED ON PRINCIPLES AND
DEMOCRACY HAS BEEN COMPLETELY
SNUFFED OUT, AND LIZ CHENEY, IT
FELT LIKE SHE WAS THE LAST
FLICKERING LIGHT AMONG THE
ELECTED REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP,
AND TODAY THE LIGHT’S BEEN
SNUFFED OUT.
TRUMP CO-OPTED CONSERVATISM AND
NOW LIKE HE DID WITH CASINOS,
HOTELS, GOLF COURSES, ANYTHING
HE’S REALLY TOUCHED IN HIS LIFE,
HE’S ABOUT TO BANKRUPT THAT TOO.
AS LIZ CHENEY WARNS HER PARTY IN
A "WASHINGTON POST" OP-ED -- I’M
A CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN AND
MOST CONSERVATIVE OF
CONSERVATIVE VALUES IS THE
REVERENCE FOR THE RULE OF LAW.
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE HAS
SPOKEN.
MORE THAN 60 STATE FEDERAL
COURTS, INCLUDING MULTIPLE
TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGES, HAVE
REJECTED THE FORMER PRESIDENT’S
ARGUMENTS.
HISTORY IS WATCHING.
OUR CHILDREN ARE WATCHING.
WE MUST BRAVE ENOUGH TO DEFEND
THE BASIC PRINCIPLES THAT
UNDERPIN AND PROTECT OUR FREEDOM
AND DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
TIME AND AGAIN WE’VE SEEN
ELECTED REPUBLICANS FIND WAYS,
HOWEVER BIZARRE, TO DEFEND TRUMP
AND ULTIMATELY AT THIS MOMENT,
OUR DEMOCRACY IS IN DANGER AS
ELECTED REPUBLICANS KEEP
CHOOSING TO SHOW THEIR FUELTY TO
SOMEBODY TRYING TO UNDERMINE
THEM.
WE WANT TO BELIEVE REPUBLICANS
IN WASHINGTON AT LEAST IN
REALITY KNOW BETTER.
I STILL SAY THAT.
BUT I WILL SAY THIS, IF THEY DO,
THEY NEED TO REALIZE THEIR
SILENCE RIGHT NOW IS HELPING TO
MARGINALIZE THE ENTIRE
REPUBLICAN PARTY FROM THE
MAINSTREAM OF AMERICAN LIFE, AND
MAYBE THESE FOLKS WILL COMFORT
THEMSELVES BY MUTING THE
MAINSTREAM AND ONLY LISTENING TO
THEIR ECHO CHAMBER, BUT THAT
DOESN’T CHANGE THE REALITY THAT
THEY ARE ALL IN ON TRUMP’S
CRUSADE AGAINST THE FOUNDATIONS
OF OUR DEMOCRACY.
THEY’RE MARCHING RIGHT ALONG,
LA, LA, LA, LA, LA.