Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), vice chair of the Jan. 6 committee, said Thursday that there was “no ambiguity [and] no nuance” that former President Trump violated his oath of office.
Why it matters: Cheney’s closing remarks come after a primetime hearing during which committee members tied Trump’s actions to the violence that day — and his deliberate inaction to stop it.
Driving the news: “In our hearing tonight, you saw an American president faced with a stark and unmistakable choice between right and wrong. There was no ambiguity, no nuance. Donald Trump made a purposeful choice to violate his oath of office,” Cheney said.
- “The case made against him is not made by his political enemies. It is instead a series of confessions by Donald Trump’s own appointees, his own friends, his own campaign officials, people who worked for him for years and his own family.”
- Cheney, in her closing remarks, also said: “And every American must consider this: Can a president who is willing to make the choices Donald Trump made during the violence of Jan. 6 ever be trusted with any position of authority in our great nation again?”
“Courage” of witnesses
- Cheney lauded the witnesses that have testified during the Jan. 6 hearings, including Cassidy Hutchinson, a top aide to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
- “She knew all along that she would be attacked by President Trump and by the 50, 60, and 70-year-old men who hide themselves behind executive privilege,” Cheney said, speaking of Hutchinson.
- Cheney said that the female’s who have testified are “an inspiration to American women and to American girls.”
What’s next: Additional public hearings are planned for September, the committee said.
- “Our committee understands the gravity of this moment, the consequences for our nation. We have much work yet to do, and will see you all again in September,” Cheney said.
Go deeper… New Jan. 6 footage shows Pence, Senate leaders working to quell violence