President Donald Trump tore into former Republican Rep.
Liz Cheney on Monday after she received a last-minute pardon from former President Joe Biden,
While signing several executive orders in the Oval Office, reporters asked Trump about several major topics.
Trump issued roughly 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 people in connection with the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney on Monday after it was revealed that Cheney had received a last-minute pardon from former President Joe Biden.
The unexpected pardon, issued just before the end of Biden’s term, has stirred significant controversy, particularly among Trump’s supporters, as Cheney was a vocal critic of the former president’s role in the January 6th Capitol riot.
Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office while signing a series of executive orders, did not hold back in his criticism of Cheney.
He described the pardon as part of a broader effort by Biden and the political establishment to “reward” figures who were opposed to him and his supporters.
“I can’t believe what’s happening,” Trump said.
“Liz Cheney has been one of the biggest backstabbers in the history of American politics, and now she gets a pardon from Biden? It’s just another example of how the system is rigged.”
Trump’s remarks come after he issued roughly 1,500 pardons and commuted the sentences of 14 individuals involved in the January 6th events.
These individuals had been charged in connection with the storming of the U.S. Capitol, and many had received support from Trump and his allies in the aftermath of the riots.
Trump’s criticism of Cheney is not new; the two have been at odds ever since Cheney voted to impeach him following the Capitol insurrection. Cheney, a former member of the House Republican leadership, was one of the most high-profile figures in the GOP to speak out against Trump’s actions before, during, and after the January 6th attack.
As of now, the full ramifications of the pardon have yet to unfold, but the political fallout is expected to be significant, especially in the context of the ongoing division within the Republican Party.
Cheney’s future political career remains uncertain, as some view the pardon as an attempt by Biden to weaken Republican opposition to his policies, while others see it as a move to reward political allies.
With tensions running high within the GOP, Trump’s attacks on Cheney may only serve to deepen the divide within the party as both sides continue to jockey for influence in the post-Trump era.