Former Rep. Liz Cheney did her typical duty of regurgitating anti-Trump talking points on the Sunday morning news circuit. In this episode, she followed a similar script as her contemporaries, exploiting the tragic death of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny to attack conservatives and Republicans who do not support continued aid to Ukraine.
In an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Cheney weighed in on a series of issues related to Ukraine and Russia. She insisted that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) should call the House back from recess to vote in favor of sending billions more to Ukraine – even if it means risking being ousted like his predecessor, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“He ought to understand that it is worth it if he has to lose his speakership in order to make sure that freedom survives, in order to make sure that the United States of America continues to play its leadership role in the world,” Cheney asserted.
The former lawmaker, who was ousted during the 2022 midterm elections due to her all-consuming obsession with the Orange Man What Is Bad™, further argued that Johnson was doing the bidding of former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“He’s going to have to explain to future generations to his kids, to his grandkids whether or not he did what was right, whether or not he was a force for good and aided the cause of freedom, or whether he continued down this path of cowardice and doing what Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin wanted him to do.”
Cheney then turned her comments to her favorite topic: Trump.
She bloviated:
When you think about Donald Trump, for example, pledging retribution, what Vladimir Putin did to Navalny is what retribution looks like in a country where the leader is not subject to the rule of law, and I think that we have to take Donald Trump very seriously.
The once-relevant lawmaker concluded by claiming there is a “Putin wing” of the Republican Party, and warned against allowing these individuals to gain power.
Cheney said:
We have to take seriously the extent to which you’ve now got a Putin wing of the Republican Party I believe the issue this election cycle is making sure that Putin wing of the Republican Party does not take over the West Wing of the White House.
Cheney’s remarks were similar to arguments made by others on the hard left who have cynically used Navalny’s death to demonize those who are not on board with sending unlimited amounts of military aid to Ukraine. It is a disgusting ploy intended to compare those with these views to an evil authoritarian leader like Vladimir Putin. As Congress navigates the Ukraine issue, it will not be surprising to see more of Cheney’s ilk weaponizing a man’s death to score cheap political points.
