After investigating January 6, House GOP sides with Trump and goes after Liz Cheney
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In a move that aligns with former President Donald Trump’s long-standing calls for retribution against his political opponents, House Republicans have launched a campaign aimed at prosecuting former Rep. Liz Cheney for her role in the investigation into the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack. The latest development, led by GOP Rep. Barry Loudermilk, has escalated tensions, bringing Cheney back into the political crosshairs of Trump and his allies.
On Tuesday, Loudermilk’s report accused Cheney, who was the vice chair of the January 6 Select Committee, of colluding with former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. Hutchinson’s testimony was crucial to the committee’s investigation, but Loudermilk claims Cheney’s actions could have violated federal laws. The report suggests that Cheney should be investigated by the FBI. Trump, whose animosity toward Cheney has been clear for years, seized upon the report’s release, stating on Truth Social that Cheney could face legal consequences due to her involvement in the investigation. He even suggested she could be “in a lot of trouble,” amplifying calls for her prosecution, a sentiment he has expressed in the past.
Trump has made public calls for political opponents to be punished, and his influence is now being felt within the GOP-led House, where members echo his views on “weaponized” legal systems. Trump’s loyalists, such as Kash Patel, a former Trump aide who has expressed an interest in purging those who investigated the former president, are now seen as key figures in shaping the party’s direction. Patel, who has led efforts to discredit the FBI and its investigations into Trump, has gained significant support within the GOP, with figures like Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, expressing anticipation for retribution against political adversaries.
The call to prosecute Cheney is part of a larger Republican effort to reshape the narrative around January 6, including an investigation into the House select committee’s actions and the security response to the Capitol attack. Loudermilk’s report emphasizes the need to hold those responsible for the committee’s investigation accountable, arguing that trust in U.S. institutions can only be restored through such actions. This report aims to diminish the findings of the committee, which played a key role in examining Trump’s involvement in the Capitol attack.
Cheney, who lost her re-election bid to a Trump-backed challenger in 2022 due to her vocal criticism of the former president and her vote to impeach him, responded strongly to the report. She accused Loudermilk of fabricating false allegations to deflect from the evidence the committee gathered regarding Trump’s actions. Cheney described the claims as “malicious” and “cowardly,” asserting that no legitimate lawyer or judge would take them seriously. Her stance was supported by Rep. Bennie Thompson, the former chair of the January 6 committee, who called Loudermilk’s report “baseless” and argued that Trump remains responsible for the deadly attack, regardless of efforts to rewrite history.
The legal threat to Cheney has prompted discussions among Democratic officials and attorneys in Washington about potential preemptive pardons or legal support should Trump follow through with his threat of prosecution. Additionally, members of Congress have broad immunity under the Speech or Debate Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which shields legislative work—including committee investigations—from criminal prosecution. This legal protection may limit the ability to investigate Cheney and others involved in the January 6 hearings.
Republicans are divided over whether pursuing Cheney’s prosecution is a wise move. Some, like Indiana Rep. Greg Pence, brother of former Vice President Mike Pence, have urged their party to move on and focus on the future. Pence, who has been critical of Trump’s claims about the 2020 election, stated that Republicans should shift their attention away from Cheney and work towards rebuilding their party. Other GOP members, however, have voiced concerns about the potential political fallout of targeting Cheney, with one lawmaker anonymously expressing fear that they, too, could become a target.
Despite this internal GOP debate, some Republican leaders have indicated their plans to pursue investigations into special counsels, including Jack Smith, who is overseeing criminal cases against Trump, and David Weiss, the special counsel investigating Hunter Biden. However, probing Cheney’s actions seems more contentious within the party. House Judiciary Committee members have expressed that any decision on investigating Cheney should be left to the Justice Department. Rep. Jim Jordan, a staunch Trump ally, argued that the focus should be on Trump’s success, not on retribution. Meanwhile, Rep. Darrell Issa of California stated that while he disagrees with Cheney politically, he does not see any criminal wrongdoing on her part.
As Republicans continue to grapple with how to handle the aftermath of the January 6 hearings and the growing calls for retribution, the future of Cheney and other figures tied to the investigation remains uncertain. With Trump’s influence over the party still strong, it’s clear that efforts to challenge the legitimacy of the January 6 committee and its findings will persist, shaping the GOP’s path forward.
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