In a new interview, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming — a Republican — characterized Republicans in the House as having been “co-opted” for Donald Trump’s political ambitions, which she in turn described as threatening the U.S. with “dictatorship.”
“He’s told us what he will do,” Cheney told CBS. “It’s very easy to see the steps that he will take. People who say, ‘Well, if he’s elected, it’s not that dangerous, because we have all of these checks and balances’ don’t fully understand the extent to which Republicans in Congress today have been co-opted. One of the things that we see happening today is sort of a sleepwalking into dictatorship in the United States.”
Trump has openly discussed the prospect of using the levers of criminal prosecution against political enemies of his, telling a conservative media figure of the idea: “The answer is you have no choice, because they’re doing it to us.” He also recently asserted he wanted to “root out” the “vermin” in his political opposition — a less specifics-defined rant but one that still aptly outlines his plans for office.
The most likely outcome at present seems that Trump and incumbent President Joe Biden face each other again in the general election next year, setting up a direct rematch of the last general election in 2020. Both Trump and Biden hold commanding leads in their respective political parties’ ongoing presidential primaries.
Specific policies pursued in another Trump term could also be particularly dangerous, like the possibility of restarted Muslim-targeting travel bans and the prospect of pardons for participants in the Capitol riots of January 6, 2021 — a group including many who perpetrated violent acts, including against police officers. Trump has also spoken against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) while out of office, suggesting he could seek a full or partial withdrawal from that mutual defense organization’s commitments by the United States.
“One of the things that we see…is a sort of a sleepwalking into dictatorship in the United States.”
Liz Cheney forewarns John Dickerson if Donald Trump is re-elected, it could mean the end of the republic & expresses concern about her party’s comfort with Trump and his lies. pic.twitter.com/JBh7nKkbfP
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) December 1, 2023
