Liz Cheney blasts 'crackpot' Elise Stefanik over Jan. 6 amid VP speculation

The Republican conference ultimately removed Cheney from her position as conference chair and replaced her with Stefanik, who has since emerged as a potential vice presidential pick for former President Donald Trump.

By Ben Whedon

Published: January 23, 2024 4:03pm

Former Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney on Tuesday labelled New York GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik a "total crackpot," highlighting her prior comments condemning the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Cheney was one of several Republicans to back Trump's second impeachment effort and later featured as one of two Republican participants in the Jan. 6 Committee. The Republican conference ultimately removed her from her position as conference chair and replaced her with Stefanik, who has since emerged as a potential vice presidential pick for former President Donald Trump. Cheney later lost her primary to a Trump-backed Republican challenger.

"This is what ⁦⁦[Elise Stefanik]⁩ said, in a rare moment of honesty, about the January 6 attack on our Capitol. One day she will have to explain how and why she morphed into a total crackpot. History, and our children, deserve to know," Cheney posted on X, along with a link to Stefanik's official statement from that day.

"This is truly a tragic day for America. I fully condemn the dangerous violence and destruction that occurred today at the United States Capitol. Americans have a Constitutional right to protest and freedom of speech, but violence in any form is absolutely unacceptable and anti-American," Stefanik's statement read. "The perpetrators of this un-American violence and destruction must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. My staff and I are safe. We pray that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, their staffs, and all Americans across the country remain safe."

"Thank you to the United States Capitol Police, all law enforcement, the National Guard, and the bipartisan professional staff of the United States Capitol for protecting the People's House and the American people," she continued.

Speaking to The Hill, a spokesperson for Stefanik contended Cheney's remarks were of little import, saying "Liz Cheney's only remaining relevance is that she will soon have to answer for her role in deleting and hiding evidence from the investigation into the sham January 6 Select Committee."

House Republicans on Monday recovered more than 100 encrypted files that the Jan. 6 Committee deleted before the Democrats lost the chamber majority.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.