Liz Cheney Tried to Save Our Democracy and I’m a Democrat Who is Sad She Lost

In recent weeks, there has been much discussion about the January 6 insurrection orchestrated by Donald Trump and his supporters. Sadly, it looks like it has not worked since Cheney, who stood up for democracy in opposition to this fascist coup, lost her primary.

As a progressive Democrat, I never imagined I’d say, “Liz Cheney tried to save our democracy”. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump since the Capitol Insurrection, was ousted by Trump-backed Harriet Hageman from her seat in the House.

Cheney accused Trump of treason, alleging that the President of the United States “summoned the mob, assembled the mob and lit the flame of this attack. Those who invaded our Capitol and battled law enforcement for hours were motivated by what President Trump had told them: that the election was stolen, and that he was the rightful president”. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not. There has never been a more blatant betrayal of an oath of office and commitment to the Constitution by a President of the United States. Cheney also added that Trump, over a number of months, “oversaw a sophisticated seven-part plan to overturn the presidential election and prevent the transfer of presidential power.” A presidency carried out under the banner of treasonous acts can’t be allowed to stand, no matter what party you belong to. I applaud Cheney’s attempt to preserve our democracy, but she didn’t even come close to beating her opponent. As a life-long Democrat, I never thought I’d say I am sad that she lost. My country needs protection from fascism, and while other Republicans want to overthrow our democracy and claim Biden stole the 2020 election from Trump, Cheney stood up against it. If we are going to change things, we need to put people in office who will fight for democracy — no matter their feelings about Trump. We need more Liz Cheneys fighting the system instead of pretending they’re patriots or engaging in false equivalencies when called out on their immoral behavior.