Liz Cheney Condemns GOP ‘Enablers’ of Trump’s Rhetoric, Citing ‘Cowardice’ Among Party Leaders

On the eve of Election Day, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) appeared on The View, delivering a scathing critique of fellow Republicans who continue to support former President Donald Trump. Cheney, who has become a vocal critic of Trump, joined the co-hosts to urge voters to consider Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump, underscoring her belief that the former president poses a serious threat to democracy.

As the discussion began, co-host Sunny Hostin expressed gratitude to Cheney for her stance. “I think I echo everyone: We owe you such a debt. Well done, and thank you,” Hostin said. The conversation quickly turned to Trump’s recent inflammatory comments targeting Cheney, in which he labeled her a “war hawk” and suggested she should know what it feels like to have “guns trained at her face.”

Cheney dismissed Trump’s threats, calling them a display of last-minute desperation. “He knows what he’s doing. He knows it’s a threat meant to intimidate,” she explained, adding that she has been actively discussing Trump’s failures on Jan. 6, 2021, with voters. “He knows he has no defense” on that issue, Cheney said, and she argued that his attacks on her are an attempt to divert attention from his own record.

The conversation shifted as Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump aide and The View co-host, raised the topic of “Republican enablers,” pointing to GOP leaders like former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), current Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). “They have heard the same words we’ve heard and seen the same actions and yet continue to make excuses,” Griffin said. She also referenced Trump’s recent rally comments where he suggested that the press should be “shot at.”

“Why do these people still defend him?” Griffin asked. “And why do they have such a hard time taking his word seriously despite everything we’ve seen?” Cheney didn’t mince words in her response, criticizing those within the GOP who “sort of sane-wash the things he’s saying.” She argued that Trump would not be as successful without the support of these “enablers” who lend a sense of legitimacy to his divisive rhetoric.

Reflecting on the broader implications, Cheney remarked, “It has really taught us a lot about some of the people that we’ve elected. It’s taught us a lot about cowardice.” She contrasted these leaders with individuals who have shown courage by standing against Trump, highlighting the role of women in particular. “If you look at so many of the people who stood up, it has been young women, and it’s been, you know, brave and courageous women and men … willing to say, wait a minute, you know, I am not going to go down that path of defending him.”

Cheney’s appearance on The View underscores her continued efforts to hold Trump and his supporters within the GOP accountable, as she pushes for a return to principles she believes the party has abandoned. Her comments reflect a deep frustration with Republican leaders who have stood by Trump, even as his rhetoric grows more divisive and threatening. For Cheney, the upcoming election represents a critical moment for voters to reject Trump and those who, as she puts it, “enable” his influence on the party.