Dem
51
GOP
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In D.C., stuff leaks. CNN managed to get ahold of Liz Cheney's new book a week before its official release. In it, Cheney paints a scathing portrait of the Republican Party, especially leaders who enabled Donald Trump and who were "willing to violate their oath to the Constitution out of political expediency and loyalty to Donald Trump." She calls Trump "the most dangerous man ever to inhabit the Oval Office."
Cheney hits Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) especially hard. She wrote that Trump told McCarthy that he knew he had lost the election. McCarthy told her: "He knows it's over. He needs to go through all the stages of grief." She will probably not be allowed to repeat that during Trump's trial because it is hearsay. Of course, McCarthy could be subpoenaed and asked directly if it is true, but McCarthy is such a coward, he might prefer perjuring himself to offending Trump.
In the book, Cheney calls out many of her House colleagues as hypocrites. They knew Trump lost, but did his bidding anyway. Specifically, she wrote: "So strong is the lure of power that men and women who had once seemed reasonable and responsible were suddenly willing to violate their oath to the Constitution out of political expediency and loyalty to Donald Trump."
Cheney calls out Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) by name. She wrote that Jordan said: "The only thing that matters is winning." She also calls out the now-Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who wrote an amicus brief supporting the idea of throwing out electoral votes of four states Trump lost. When Cheney confronted him, Johnson said: "We just need to do this one last thing for Trump." Cheney also noted that while signing some pieces of paper, Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) muttered: "The things we do for the Orange Jesus."
The book also discloses that on Jan. 4, Cheney was accidentally included in a call with Trump's surrogates. She was alarmed when she heard their plans to get Mike Pence to obstruct or delay counting the electoral votes. Also, in his speech on the Ellipse on Jan. 6, Trump called on the crowd to get rid of the Liz Cheneys of the world. Liz' father, Dick, called her immediately afterwards and warned her. See, he has a heart after all. Who knew? (V)