Former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney Says ‘There’s No Question’ Trump Would Refuse To Leave Office If He Wins A Second Term

Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) expressed her grave concerns about the potential consequences of a second presidential term for Donald Trump.

The daughter of former Republican vice president, Cheney believes that Trump would attempt to establish himself as a permanent president and refuse to leave office after the constitutionally mandated two-term limit, should he be reelected.

“There’s no question,” she told Today. “Absolutely. He’s already done it once. … He’s already attempted to seize power, and he was stopped, thankfully, and for the good of the nation and the republic. But he said he will do it again. He’s expressed no remorse for what he did.”

Cheney, a lifelong Republican who broke ranks with the party after she led the House of Representatives committee that investigated the January 6 Capitol attack, discussed the threat she sees to democracy in her new book, Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning.

Cheney highlighted Trump’s disregard for the judiciary and his intention to appoint individuals to office regardless of Senate confirmation.

She also pointed to his concerning rhetoric and the use of the military in ways that are “fundamentally un-American.” Cheney made it clear how vital it is that people understand the consequences of Trump’s potential return to the White House.

Cheney acknowledged that in a potential election between Trump and President Joe Biden, the outcome could hinge on a small group of undecided voters in swing states. She was concerned about those who may underestimate the long-lasting effects of a vote for Trump on democracy.

Cheney stressed that a vote for Trump is a vote against the Constitution and warned that it would likely jeopardize the very existence of future elections.

The possibility of Trump becoming a dictator is a genuine threat, Cheney says. As someone who has dedicated her life to Republican politics, Cheney is determined to do whatever it takes to ensure Trump’s defeat in the 2024 election. 

Cheney dismissed the notion that Congress and other checks and balances would be sufficient to limit Trump’s attempts to gain total power. She argued that the safeguards that prevented a more severe crisis during Trump’s previous term may not be in place again, and a president who disregards court rulings and the Constitution cannot be curbed by the existing guardrails.

She viewed the events of 2020 and January 2021 as a practice run for those who seek to unravel the foundations of the republic.

Cheney’s principled stand against Trump has already cost her politically, but she remains steadfast in her belief that the preservation of the republic is of paramount importance.

Cheney’s warnings about the potential consequences of a second Trump term underscore her deep concerns about the erosion of democracy and the very foundations of the United States.

Cheney revealed in her book that former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy visited Trump after leaving the White House because “he wasn’t eating.”