Liz Cheney teases 2024 presidential run: ‘We have a lot of bad candidates’

Rep. Liz Cheney said she will make a decision about a 2024 bid for the White House in the months ahead, declaring that the GOP should support pro-democracy candidates.

The Wyoming Republican hinted at her presidential ambitions while responding to an audience question as she spoke Friday at the University of Notre Dame.

“I think 2024 is going to be really important,” Ms. Cheney said. “It’s going to be crucial that we elect people that will defend the Constitution. I haven’t made a decision yet about what I’m going to do. We have a lot of excellent candidates. We have a lot of bad candidates too. So, I’ll make a decision about that in the coming months.”

Mr. Cheney’s political future is up in the air after she lost her House seat in this year’s Republican primary because of her outspoken opposition to former President Donald Trump.

A day before her remarks at Notre Dame, Ms. Cheney led the House Jan. 6 committee in voting to issue a subpoena for Mr. Trump to testify and turn over documents to the panel, a rare move by Congress to go after a former president.

At the university, Ms. Cheney spoke about the need to reject Republican candidates in local and state races who deny the results of the 2020 election, as well as the urgency to hold people accountable who not only stormed the Capitol, but tried to overturn the election.

“What happened on January 6 is unjustifiable,” she said. “We have to make sure that our nation not only punishes the foot soldiers who stormed our Capitol, but those who had plans to overturn our elections, who brought us to the point of violence. They must also be held accountable.”

Ms. Cheney did not discuss the Jan. 6 committee’s anticipated criminal referrals to the Justice Department, but she pointed to a court ruling earlier this year that found Mr. Trump and his lawyer John Eastman likely committed felony obstruction. 

Ms. Cheney is arguably the most vocal anti-Trump Republican in the House GOP Conference. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, another fierce Trump critic, is the only other Republican member of the Jan. 6 committee. He is not seeking reelection.

Ms. Cheney lost the primary election in August to Rep.-elect Harriet Hageman, who was backed by Mr. Trump. In contrast to Ms. Cheney, Mrs. Hageman backs Mr. Trump’s stolen election claims, saying she believes the 2020 presidential election was rigged by Democrats.