Politics

Jen Psaki says it’s “disturbing” that GOP booted Liz Cheney for “speaking the truth”

Press Secretary Jen Psaki
Press Secretary Jen Psaki Photo: Screenshot/Facebook

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that it was “disturbing” that House Republicans voted to remove Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) from a leadership position because she called out former President Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

“Our nation’s Capital was attacked, our democracy was attacked, and six people lost their lives,” Psaki said at a press briefing today. “So it’s disturbing to see any leader, regardless of party, being attacked for simply speaking the truth.”

Related: Jen Psaki shuts down Fox reporter who blamed unemployment on Joe Biden

Psaki said that President Joe Biden finds it “hard to understand” the gravity of what’s happening.

“Our belief, his belief, is that the American people will have to make their own decisions about whether the reaction by the people they elected to represent them should be embracing and elevating conspiracy theories and attacks on our democracy, or whether it should be standing up for ideals that have historically been owned by both Democrats and Republicans representing the country throughout history,” she said.

She added that dozens of lawsuits claiming election fraud were rejected by courts last year.

Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and a lifelong Republican, was removed in a closed-door vote earlier today from her position as House Republican Conference chair. House Republicans tried to remove her in February when she voted to impeach Trump for his role in the January 6 Capitol riots and insurrection, and they succeeded today after she continued to speak out against Trump’s false claims of election fraud.

Even after she was voted out, she kept on swinging.

“Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar,” Cheney said in a floor speech today. “I will not sit back and watch in silence while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former president’s crusade to undermine our democracy.”

“Liz Cheney is a bitter, horrible human being,” Trump said in a statement after the vote. “I watched her yesterday and realized how bad she is for the Republican Party. She has no personality or anything good having to do with politics or our Country.”

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