Former GOP Representative Liz Cheney, the vice chair of the bipartisan House January 6 committee, is sounding a piercing alarm about fellow Republican Jim Jordan, a contender for Speaker of the House of Representatives.
In a stark speech at the University of Minnesota, Cheney declared that “Jim Jordan knew more about what Donald Trump had planned for January 6 than any other member of the House of Representatives.” She unequivocally asserted that Jordan was actively involved in the conspiracy to overturn the election orchestrated by Trump.
Cheney urgently questioned Jordan’s disturbing actions, stressing the critical need to ask him, “Why didn’t you report to the Capitol Police what you knew Donald Trump had planned?” The gravity of Cheney’s concerns is underscored by the final report from the January 6 committee, which states that “Jordan was a significant player in President Trump’s efforts” to challenge the 2020 election results.
The report exposes Jordan’s extensive involvement, surpassing the mere dissemination of Trump’s election falsehoods through friendly media outlets. It details his participation in post-election meetings where strategies to challenge the election were actively discussed. The report highlights Jordan’s leadership role in a critical conference call on January 2, 2021, where strategies for delaying the joint session on January 6 were outlined.
Cheney’s urgent warning gains intensity from the report’s revelation that, four days before the January 6 attack, Jordan and others not only strategized on delaying the certification process but also discussed issuing social media posts encouraging Trump’s supporters to “march to the Capitol.” Following this call, Jordan had an 18-minute one-on-one conversation with Trump.
Jordan’s involvement in pushing false election rhetoric is further emphasized by his actions on January 5, where he advised Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, on how Vice President Pence could prevent the certification of President Biden’s win.
Despite the gravity of these allegations and Jordan’s blatant refusal to comply with the January 6 committee’s subpoena, he dismisses the investigation as a “partisan witch hunt.”
With Trump’s recent endorsement of Jordan for Speaker of the House, Cheney rightly raises concerns about the implications of electing someone with ties to efforts to block the certification of Biden’s victory.
Cheney contends that if House Republicans choose Jordan as Speaker, it would irreparably undermine any confidence in the party’s commitment to defending the Constitution. As Republicans prepare to vote on a new speaker, they face a perilous choice between upholding constitutional principles or aligning with a Trump loyalist who played a role in casting doubt on the election results.
