Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) has thrown House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) into the spotlight following a heated text exchange. Cheney, known for her outspoken stance against Donald Trump, recently indicated her support for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming 2024 presidential election—a position she shares with several other notable figures, including former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and former Trump administration officials like Olivia Troye and Stephanie Grisham.
Despite their past friendship, Johnson and Cheney have taken sharply divergent paths, with Johnson remaining a steadfast Trump ally. According to Axios reporter Juliegrace Brufke, the recent text conversation between Johnson and Cheney escalated into a tense back-and-forth. Cheney contested Johnson’s characterization of their dialogue, emphasizing that they did not simply “agree to disagree.”
Johnson, who claimed it had been a long time since they last spoke, decided to reach out after Cheney made comments he found “very uncharitable.” He expressed disappointment that she chose to make their disagreement personal, stating, “We had a little debate in conversation, on text message, back and forth.”
Cheney, however, was unyielding in her critique. She argued that Johnson’s legal interpretations could warrant severe professional consequences.
“Had Mike been acting as a lawyer representing Trump, he would have been sanctioned, disbarred or indicted for taking those positions — just as several Trump lawyers were,” Cheney told Axios. “The courts, including several conservative judges appointed by Trump, rejected each legal argument Mike makes.”
She added: “Mike does not have constitutional authority to overrule the courts. Ignoring those rulings is tyranny Trump’s own White House lawyers testified against him.”
She pointed out that courts, including those with conservative judges appointed by Trump, consistently rejected Johnson’s arguments, emphasizing that ignoring these rulings equates to tyranny.
Cheney’s sharp remarks continued as she asserted, “Trump’s campaign lawyers testified against him. Trump’s Justice Department officials testified against him. So did his VP. If Trump is somehow elected, neither Mike nor anyone else will be able to control him.”
