Former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s remarks during his inauguration ceremony, where he took aim at the House Select Committee on January 6 and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Cheney’s comments came just after receiving a preemptive pardon from outgoing President Joe Biden.
Speaking before dignitaries and family members in the U.S. Capitol rotunda, Trump reiterated his claim that Pelosi rejected his offer of “10,000 soldiers” to prevent unrest on January 6, 2021. “There were a lot of make-believe stories. So rather than face the consequences, like the story with Nancy Pelosi, I offered her 10,000 soldiers. She knows it. She even admitted it on tape made by her daughter,” Trump stated. “But as she left the Capitol, she admitted, ‘It was my responsibility.’ And it was. She was in charge of security at the Capitol.”
He continued, “Think about it—10,000 soldiers. That means no January 6 would have happened. There would have been no attack. But she turned them down. She didn’t want it. No, she didn’t.”
Trump further speculated that Pelosi “wanted that to happen,” alleging that Cheney and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), who co-chaired the January 6 committee, “destroyed all evidence.” He claimed, “They deleted everything. There’s virtually nothing left. Maybe she wanted it to happen, but she’s guilty as hell.”
Cheney, who lost her 2022 GOP primary to pro-Trump candidate Harriet Hageman, took to social media to respond. On X (formerly Twitter), she called Trump’s remarks a stark reminder of his dishonesty.
“Trump’s comments today were proof that neither lies nor the liar who tells them improve with time,” Cheney wrote. “The Select Committee’s evidence is widely available, and as a criminal defendant, Trump has had access to all the transcripts for years.” She continued, “Remember Trump’s character: he sat in his dining room watching TV as his supporters attacked the Capitol and brutally assaulted law enforcement. For hours, he refused to tell them to leave. The truth doesn’t change.”
Despite Trump’s accusations, footage does exist of Pelosi acknowledging her responsibility for security lapses on January 6. Speaking candidly while leaving the Capitol with her daughter, filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi, she admitted, “We didn’t have accountability for what happened, and we should have. Why wasn’t the National Guard there from the start? I take responsibility for not having them better prepared.”
Cheney’s social media post followed reports that President Biden had issued her a preemptive pardon on his final day in office, according to Reuters.
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