“There is a real tragedy going on, and the tragedy is that there are politicians in this country, starting with Donald Trump, who have lied to the American people. People have been betrayed. He has constantly said that the elections are ‘ they stole when they weren’t. ”Cheney said in the Wyoming PBS debate before the Aug. 16 primary.
He added: “We are now embracing a cult of personality. I will not be a part of that, and I will always stand up for my oath and stand up for the truth.”
Cheney will face Harriet Hageman, backed by Trump, a former woman on the Wyoming Republican National Committee, and three more Republicans in the primaries for the only seat in the U.S. House. His rivals have attacked Cheney for his role as one of two Republican members of the House panel investigating the U.S. Capitol riots and have dismissed the importance of that investigation.
Cheney attacked early in the debate and noted that Hageman’s campaign had hired the consultancy of Bill Stepien, Trump’s former campaign manager. Stepien, Cheney noted, had told the committee he was happy to be part of the “normal team” in the wake of Trump’s loss in the 2020 election as Trump and some of his allies began spreading lies and theories. of conspiracy on electoral fraud.
“I would be interested to know if my opponent, Mrs. Hageman, is willing to say here tonight that the election has not been stolen. She knows it has not been stolen,” Cheney said.
However, Cheney said doing so would cost Hageman Trump’s endorsement. “If she says they haven’t stolen it, she won’t support it,” the MP said.
Hageman made several false claims about the 2020 election, citing the film “2000 Mules” which places conspiracy theories about ballot boxes and “Zuckerberg’s money,” a reference to donations from the charity. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. , to help local election officials navigate the coronavirus pandemic.
“The truth matters,” Cheney said. “And Ms. Hageman’s claims about the 2020 election are the same as the president’s chief lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was disqualified,” he added, referring to Giuliani’s suspension from practicing law at the state of New York by a court of appeal. who found that he made “demonstrably false and misleading statements” about the 2020 elections.
“It’s just not true. It’s not true that there has been enough fraud to change the results of the 2020 election. The president’s own attorney general has said it, the president’s own deputy attorney general himself has said it, and I mean, “President Trump’s campaign manager said that; President Trump’s adviser in the White House said that; President Trump’s own family said that.”