‘Why Are We Helping Liz Cheney?’: Trump Slams Former GOP Representative

On Monday, President Donald Trump criticized former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney following a last-minute pardon granted to her by former President Joe Biden.

During a session in the Oval Office where Trump signed several executive orders, he was questioned by reporters on various pressing issues. Trump had recently granted around 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 individuals connected to the January 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol.

“I was going to talk about the J6 hostages, but you’ll be happy because, you know, it’s action, not words that count, and you’re going to see a lot of action on the J6 hostages,” Trump stated.

He further remarked, “I was going to talk about the things that Joe did today with the pardons of people that were very, very guilty of very bad crimes, like the unselect committee of political folks,” referring to the panel investigating January 6.

Shortly before leaving office, Biden issued a series of preemptive pardons to key figures, including former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, members of the House January 6 committee, and others.

“Why are we doing this? Why are we trying to help a guy like Milley? Why are we helping Liz Cheney?” Trump questioned. “I mean, Liz Cheney is a disaster. She’s a crying lunatic and crying, crying.”

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Republican officials criticized Biden’s pardons, arguing they implied an admission of wrongdoing and pointed to corruption within the investigation.

“Proves they know she’s guilty,” stated Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) in response to Cheney’s pardon.

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) told the Daily Beast, “Joe Biden’s last-minute pardons of the January 6th sham committee members will forever seal the negative legacy of the Biden administration which will be one of corruption, pay-to-play schemes, and the overall total sellout of our ‘American principles.’”

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), who spearheaded the GOP’s investigation into the January 6 committee, described the pardons as a “direct result of our investigation.”

Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) echoed similar sentiments, calling attention to the "unlawful, deceitful, and corrupt" actions of those pardoned.

In defense of his decision, Biden wrote, “Our nation relies on dedicated, selfless public servants every day. They are the lifeblood of our democracy. Yet alarmingly, public servants have been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation for faithfully discharging their duties.”

Biden elaborated, “In certain cases, some have even been threatened with criminal prosecutions, including General Mark A. Milley, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, and the members and staff of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. These public servants have served our nation with honor and distinction and do not deserve to be the targets of unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions.”

Highlighting Milley’s career, Biden stated, “General Milley served our nation for more than 40 years, serving in multiple command and leadership posts and deploying to some of the most dangerous parts of the world to protect and defend democracy.”

Regarding Fauci’s contributions, Biden added, “For more than half a century. Dr. Fauci served our country. He saved countless lives by managing the government’s response to pressing health crises, including HIV/AIDS, as well as the Ebola and Zika viruses.”

Reflecting on the Capitol attack, Biden wrote, “On January 6, 2021, American democracy was tested when a mob of insurrectionists attacked the Capitol in an attempt to overturn a fair and free election by force and violence. In light of the significance of that day, Congress established the bipartisan Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol to investigate and report upon the facts, circumstances, and causes of the insurrection.”

He continued, “Rather than accept accountability, those who perpetrated the January 6th attack have taken every opportunity to undermine and intimidate those who participated in the Select Committee in an attempt to rewrite history, erase the stain of January 6th for partisan gain, and seek revenge, including by threatening criminal prosecutions.”

Biden concluded his statement by affirming, “I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But these are exceptional circumstances, and I cannot in good conscience do nothing. Baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families.”