Liz Cheney accuses Scalise of ‘attacking’ US after refusing to say election was not stolen

Representative Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, accused House Minority Whip Representative Steve Scalise of being part of an “attack” on the United States after she repeatedly refused in an interview on Sunday to say that the the 2020 elections had not been “stolen”.

Trump and many of his Republican allies continue to make baseless claims that President Joe Biden won the presidential election through widespread electoral fraud. In an interview with Fox News SundayScalise was repeatedly urged by host Chris Wallace to respond if he agreed with the extraordinary claim, but the Louisiana Republican backed off and did not respond directly.

Sharing an excerpt from the interview, Cheney tweeted Sunday: “Millions of Americans have been sold for fraud that the election was stolen. Republicans have a duty to tell the American people that is not true. Continuing the big lie is an attack on the core of our constitutional republic.

Scalise, the No.2 House GOP executive, has long supported Trump’s opposition to the 2020 election results. The Louisiana Republican was among more than 140 GOP lawmakers in Congress to vote against the election. certification of the Arizona and / or Pennsylvania Electoral College votes in January.

“Do you think the 2020 election was ‘stolen’ from Donald Trump? And by continuing to make that accusation… do you think it hurts, undermines American democracy?” Wallace asked Scalise Fox News Sunday.

Scalise did not answer the question directly. “I’ve been very clear from the start. If you look at a number of states, they have not followed the laws passed by the state that govern the presidential election. That’s what the Constitution says. United States, “he replied.

Wallace then asked the direct question twice more, but Scalise responded with concerns about the state’s failure to comply with its local election laws. He also criticized Democrats for opposing controversial electoral changes imposed by Republican legislatures in conservative states.

Cheney was previously the No. 3 House Republican. She was ousted from that post – president of the House Republican Conference – in May because of her constant criticism of Trump and his fellow GOP lawmakers who refuse to condemn her claims about the 2020 election.

The Wyoming Republican was one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump for instigating his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan.6. the Constitution, ”she said in a statement before the vote.

Along with GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Cheney has since become one of the most vocal conservative critics of Trump and his faction in the Republican Party. Cheney and Kinzinger were both selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, to serve on the House select committee investigating the January 6 violence.

Both received a significant backlash from pro-Trump colleagues. Minority House Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, has dubbed Kinzinger and Cheney “Pelosi Republicans”. Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus described their two Republican colleagues as “spies for Democrats,” urging McCarthy to remove them from the House GOP caucus.

Meanwhile, Trump and his allies continue to promote disinformation about the 2020 election. Despite their claims, dozens of election challenge lawsuits have failed in state and federal courts. Even justices Trump and other appointed Republicans have dismissed the allegations of widespread fraud. Audits and recounts in major battlefield states, including areas where the election was overseen by pro-Trump Republicans, have consistently reaffirmed Biden’s victory.

Former Attorney General William Barr, who was widely regarded as one of Trump’s most loyal cabinet members, said late last year that there was “no evidence” to support the claims. allegations of widespread fraud. The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency described the election as “the safest in American history.” The agency, which was then headed by a person appointed by Trump, noted that there was “no evidence that a voting system suppressed or lost votes, altered votes or was compromised in any way whether it be”.

News week contacted Scalise’s press secretary for further comment, but did not immediately receive a response.