Rep. Liz Cheney, the House’s No. 3-ranking Republican, showed Monday she won’t back down from her criticism of Donald Trump, calling out the former president’s latest false claim about the 2020 election. 


What You Need To Know

  • Rep. Liz Cheney tweeted Monday that anyone who claims the 2020 presidential election was stolen "is spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system”

  • The comment was directed at former President Donald Trump, who called the 2020 election "fraudulent" and said it should be from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!”

  • Cheney has been one of the GOP’s staunchest Trump critics since the election, putting her at odds with most in her party

  • In February, she survived a vote to oust her from her leadership post, but such talk has only grown louder in recent weeks

Through his post-presidency office, Trump released a one-sentence statement Monday saying: “The Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020 will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!”

“The Big Lie” is the term popular among critics of Trump and his allies who have repeated false claims that widespread election fraud cost him reelection.

Cheney, however, quickly fired back on Twitter. 

“The 2020 presidential election was not stolen,” the Wyoming congresswoman said. “Anyone who claims it was is spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system.”

Some 60 lawsuits filed challenging the election results were rejected by the courts. The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Association of State Election Directors described the election as "the most secure in American history.” And former Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department found no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could have changed the outcome of the election.

Cheney has been one of the GOP’s staunchest Trump critics since the election, putting her at odds with most in her party. In February, she survived a vote to oust her from her leadership post, but such talk has only grown louder in recent weeks.

Cheney was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. 

“The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack,” Cheney said in a statement before casting her vote. “Everything that followed was his doing. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution. I will vote to impeach the President.”

She also has said she doesn’t believe Trump should have a role in the future of the party and that anyone who supported efforts to block the certification of Joe Biden’s election win should be disqualified as a Republican candidate in the next election. One hundred forty-seven congressional Republicans voted against certifying the results in the hours after the attack on the Capitol.

Trump, meanwhile, is seeking revenge by promising to back a Republican challenger when Cheney seeks reelection next year. 

Some Republicans made it clear at a GOP retreat in Orlando, Florida, last week that they are tired of the distractions caused by Cheney’s criticism of Trump. 

“You're sitting here at a retreat that's focused on policy and focused on the future of making American next-century, and you're talking about something else, you're not being productive,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, who refused to say whether he thinks Cheney should continue in a leadership role.

On Friday, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the second-ranking Republican in the House, told Axios that Cheney is out of step with the party.

"This idea that you just disregard President Trump is not where we are, and, frankly, he has a lot to offer still,” Scalise said.

Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, R-Ohio, however, defended Cheney. 

“If a prerequisite for leading our conference is continuing to lie to our voters, then Liz is not the best fit,” Gonzalez told The Hill. "Liz isn't going to lie to people. Liz is going to say what she believes. She’s going to stand on principle."

Cheney told the New York Post last week she has not ruled out running for president.