Liz Cheney lauded for prosecutorial performance at first Jan 6 hearing: ‘Profile in courage’

National prominence as staunchly anti-Trump brings challenges in home state

Liz Cheney, the anti-Trump Wyoming Republican representative, put her career on the line as one of just two members of the GOP on the January 6 Committee.

However, after the first public hearing on Thursday, she has been widely praised for her courage and prosecutorial performance in laying out the case against former president Donald Trump.

Supreme Court lawyer Neal Katyal described her opening statement as “on fire”, calling it: “Just perfect. Balanced, sober, methodological.”

Others said the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney delivered a “damning indictment of Donald Trump” and “left her mark for history”. Anna Navarro-Cárdenas of The View hailed the “poignant truth spoken” by Ms Cheney.

The Bulwark editor Bill Kristol tweeted: “Liz Cheney’s presentation will, in my judgment, go down in the history books: Congress at its best, truth-telling at its best, American democracy at its best.”

Conservative lawyer and commentator George Conway called her: “A profile in courage for the 21st century,” while former presidential candidate Andrew Yang said: “All respect and admiration to Liz Cheney for having both courage and principles.”

At the time of the Capitol riot, she was the third highest-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives. The incident transformed her into a furious critic of then-President Donald Trump and she was one of ten GOP House lawmakers to vote for his impeachment.

Despite bona fide credentials as a staunch conservative, she has since been shunned by almost her entire party.

Ms Cheney’s opening statement at Thursday’s hearing was peppered with new information from the committee’s findings. This included the allegation that members of her own party who had supported Donald Trump’s claims of a rigged election had then asked for pardons for their actions.

In what was deemed by public affairs strategist Steve Schmidt as a “historic” quote, Ms Cheney said: “Tonight, I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible: There will come a day where Trump is gone. But your dishonour will remain.”

Dave Aronberg, state attorney for Palm Beach County, noted: “Last night’s powerful hearing may not sway public opinion much, but it surely got the attention of AG Merrick Garland and DOJ.”

“It’s no accident that Rep Liz Cheney sounded more like a prosecutor than a legislator,” he added, before referring to the lawmaker’s target, Mr Trump: “Knowing you lost the election is evidence of criminal intent.”

Perhaps more succinctly, actor and activist George Takei tweeted: “Liz Cheney has come bearing the receipts.”

Ms Cheney’s national plaudits for her performance come with a bittersweet edge. In her deep-red home state of Wyoming, she is being primaried by pro-Trump candidate Harriet Hageman.

Her defiance of the former president has seen her alienated from the Republican Party and many of her supporters and placed her under constant attack by Mr Trump and his allies.

Polling suggests that her presence on the committee, opposition to Trump, and focus on January 6 over the state are hurting her standing.

One survey seen by NBC News and prepared by a Hageman-supporting super PAC has Cheney trailing 28-56 per cent. It reportedly reflects other polling done of the contest. Trump remains extremely popular in Wyoming and the primary is scheduled for 16 August.

Nevertheless, with a recently launched ad-buy, Ms Cheney is pitching herself both as being there for the needs of her constituents, while also telling supporters that what she is doing on the committee is a responsibility based on her principles and commitment to the Constitution.

She has set personal fundraising records ahead of the race, in part thanks to her role on the committee, but political strategists have said she’ll likely need some votes from Democrats and independents to win and she remains a conservative, so that may be a big ask of voters.

With such a presence on the national stage, there has also been chatter in Washington about Ms Cheney parlaying her political standing to mount a 2024 presidential run against Mr Trump should he run.

With additional reporting from the Associated Press