GOP Rep. Cheney: ‘Supreme Dereliction of Duty’ When Trump ‘Provoked’ Attack on the Capitol

Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that then-President Donald Trump committed a “supreme dereliction of duty” when he “provoked” the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Cheney said, “The January 6 situation and attack is obviously something that was fundamentally different. We all watched that unfold in realtime. We all lived through that attack. I will say the January 6 committee is very much focused on lessons learned from that first impeachment and very much focused on making sure the American people have all the facts and the truth about what happened.”

Anchor Chuck Todd said, “Should we expect criminal referrals on this, and should we expect something — how much new do you think the public will learn that will actually change the way they thought about January 6?”

Cheney said, “I think certainly our first priority is to make recommendations, and we’re looking at things like do we need additional enhanced criminal penalties for the kind of supreme dereliction of duty that you saw with President Trump when he refused to tell the mob to go home after he had provoked that attack on the Capitol. So there will be legislative recommendations, and there certainly will be information. I can tell you. I have not learned a single thing since I have been on this committee that has made me less concerned or less worried about the gravity of the situation and the actions that President Trump took and also refused to take while the attack was underway.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

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