Even those who disagree with her policy views ought to acknowledge her bravery.
Over the last year, one of the most extraordinary performances of civic grit in American history has played out before our eyes: Liz Cheney’s demonstration of principled constitutionalism. Even those of us who disagree with her policy views ought to acknowledge her bravery. Now, as the congresswoman faces a challenge in today’s Republican primary for Wyoming’s sole House seat—a challenge she is expected to lose—it is worth taking a moment to recognize what she has done.
By standing resolutely in defense of the Constitution, Cheney has brought before the entire nation a rare kind of American patriotism. She’s also gained an almost unique standing among Americans of good will and made clear the incontestably best solution—the application of constitutional principle—to the gravest domestic crisis the nation has faced since the Civil War.
Every day, Cheney has had to withstand attacks and efforts to demean her will. Her former allies scorn her. Trump insults her. She is regularly mocked on Fox News and conservative talk radio. Her state party has twice rebuked her. Her physical safety has been threatened.
Yet through it all, Cheney has stood rock solid. She has acted out of publicly and resolutely avowed conviction. Once she joined the January 6th Committee, she no longer had any place to hide—whether politically or from the public eye. Fortunately for us, that means we can witness her steely defiance, rising above party, in the clear light of day.
Cheney’s determination to put her constitutional fortitude on display has not been common in the history of American politics. Few political figures have so openly taken the risk of betting their offices and careers against their party’s orthodoxy or bucking its leaders as she has done so publicly. Few have faced with greater equanimity the costs and dangers that have come their way.
Even more exceptional are the grounds on which she’s taken her stand.