Former U.S. representative Liz Cheney has faced a barrage of online attacks from Trump supporters over her role in the investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, PFZ reported on November 27, 2023.
Cheney, who served as vice-chair of the House committee panel that probed the riot, co-authored a scathing report that accused former President Donald Trump of instigating a “multi-part conspiracy” to overturn the 2020 election and failing to stop the violence that ensued.
The report, which was released in December 2020, also recommended that Trump should be barred from holding any public office again, as he was “unfit” for any position of authority
The report concluded that Trump was the “central cause” of the January 6 attack, which resulted in five deaths and hundreds of injuries.
Cheney, who is now a professor at the University of Virginia, has been vocal in her criticism of Trump and his false claims of election fraud.
She wrote in the foreword of the report that Trump’s allegations were “concocted nonsense” and that he was a “dangerous demagogue” who posed a threat to the rule of law and the integrity of the electoral system.
However, Cheney’s stance has earned her the ire of Trump’s loyal fans, who have recently launched an online campaign to discredit her and call for her imprisonment.
The anger towards Cheney was sparked after House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would release “thousands of hours” worth of footage from the riot, which Trump supporters believe will reinforce the claims that the Capitol riot was a peaceful protest rather than a violent one.
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., speaks to reporters after House Republicans voted to oust her from her leadership post as chair of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades | AP
The outrage towards Cheney was ignited after she responded to a conspiracy theory posted on ‘X’. The video showed Kevin Lyons, who has recently been sentenced to four years in prison for the attack, apparently flashing official government identification at a camera.
Cheney’s response garnered much criticism, particularly from Republicans who felt she betrayed Trump.
One user responded to Cheney’s post: “Liz Cheney and every other member of the fraudulent J6 committee needs to be thrown in jail for the rest of their lives.” One person alleged that Cheney and former U.S. representative Adam Kinzinger “are guilty of Treason and Manslaughter,” attributing blame to them for the suicide of Matthew Perna, who took part in the riot against the Capitol.
Responding to Cheney’s comments that Trump’s recent speech is demonstrative of “Nazi Propaganda”, one person asked: “Where was Liz when this all started? Decades of the Southern Strategy led us here, and she was perfectly fine with it as long as she benefited. Not a peep all this time.”
Another person echoed a similar sentiment regarding Cheney’s previous loyalty to Trump: “When Liz Cheney was in office she voted with Trump over 90% of the time. She is a terrible person. Just look at her voting record.”
Another user declared Cheney’s actions against Trump as hypocritical: “While she’s telling it like it is with regards to Trump, she’s not taking ownership of her role in this whole mess.”
Cheney has not responded to the online attacks, but has maintained her position that Trump should be held accountable for his crimes. She has also expressed hope that the justice system would deliver a fair and impartial verdict on Trump’s cases and prevent him from running for office again.
