Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said Sunday on CBS' “Face the Nation” that Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), chair of the House Republican Conference, said, “On January 6th, He said it was “disgusting” that he was concerned about “the treatment of hostages.” ”
A partial transcription follows:
CHENEY: Look, two members of the House Republican leadership were on TV this morning. Mike once again argued that he has the right to decide individually whether to waste millions of votes and ignore the court's ruling. Elise Stefanik was talking about the J-6 hostages this morning. So you don't have to take my word for the fact that you can't expect elected Republicans to uphold the Constitution. They go out and do interviews every time. They prove it themselves.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, Elise Stefanik was on another network this morning and you mentioned her. The quote was, “There are concerns about the treatment of the hostages on January 6.'' “Hostage” is a very specific word. And there are currently well over 1,200 people undergoing legal proceedings in the U.S. justice system for their roles in that day's attacks. The words she used are exactly the words Donald Trump uses.
Liz Cheney: That's why she uses it. And that is outrageous and disgusting. And if you go and look at the people who have been convicted and are incarcerated, you'll see that, broadly speaking, these are people who were involved in violence against police officers in the Capitol attack. And it really is a shame that Donald Trump says what he says. And for those trying to enable him, or further their own political careers, it would be a shame to repeat it. And you can't say you're part of a political party that believes in the rule of law. I can't say I'm pro-law enforcement. So I went out and said these people were “hostages.” It's shameful.
MARGARET BRENNAN: There are other Republican presidential candidates, like Ron DeSantis, who have said they are open to considering cases against these defendants and considering pardons for them.
LIZ CHENEY: Look, the president has pardon power and pardon power. I think this is a very important piece for people to consider when thinking about who to vote for. People who say they're going to pardon people who stormed the Capitol, people who tried to block the constitutional process, people who assaulted police officers — I mean, it was a bloody battle. When I asked the police, one said, “It was like medieval hand-to-hand combat.'' The idea that the Republican Party would continue its efforts at subterfuge that day. They prove unfit for office when a peaceful transition of power is central to the survival of the republic.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
