Former Wyoming Republican Representative Liz Cheney's upcoming book—Oath and Honor—includes several insider secrets from the bowels of the GOP. Cheney undoubtedly had a view from the inside while a member of the House of Representatives for six years from January 2017 - January 2023.
Before clashing with former Republican President Donald Trump, Cheney served as chair of the House Republican Conference—third-highest position in the House GOP—from 2019 to 2021.
One such secret drew ire from Trump early Monday morning.
According to Cheney, California Republican Kevin McCarthy—then House Minority Leader—justified a clandestine 2021 trip to Mar-a-Lago just three weeks after the January 6 Capitol riot as being out of concern for Trump's mental and physical health.
In her book, Cheney wrote she confronted McCarthy over continued "craven" fealty to Trump after the insurrection on January 6 resulted in the deaths of at least five people, injuries to over 100 members of law enforcement, and millions of dollars in damages.
In an excerpt from Oath and Honor shared by CNN last week, McCarthy told Cheney he only went to Mar-a-Lago after being asked to visit by Trump's "really worried" staff because “Trump’s not eating” and was “really depressed.”
Monday morning, Trump posted on his own floundering social media platform Truth Social:
"Crazy Liz Cheney, who suffers from Trump Derangement Syndrome at a level rarely seen before, writes in her boring new book that Keven [ sic] McCarthy said he came to Mar-a-Lago after the RIGGED election because, ‘the former president was depressed and not eating'."
“That statement is not true."
"I was not depressed, I WAS ANGRY, and it was not that I was not eating, it was that I was eating too much."
"But that’s not why Keven McCarthy was there. He was at Mar-a-Lago to get my support, and to bring the Republican Party together—Only good intentions."
You can see a screenshot of Trump's full post here:
People found some truth in Trump's post.
The overeating part.
The memes were plentiful.
Others cited Trump's habit of denying and lying and then changing his story after the truth is exposed.
Trump has made numerous dubious claims about his weight, height, health, and physical prowess backed by controversial figures like former White House physician and current Texas Republican Representative Ronny Jackson. Trump's almost exclusively fast food diet has been repeatedly criticized as unhealthy.
Trump stated he would be the healthiest President ever according to his personal physician in his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump's doctor who backed that claim later disclosed Trump provided the letter with effusive praise and Dr. Harold Bornstein—a gastroenterologist—merely signed it.
Trump—or whoever posts for him now on Truth Social—added more false claims and misinformation attacking Cheney.
Trump's post continued:
"Liz Cheney on the other hand, went on to lose her seat in Congress by the largest margin for a sitting Congressperson in the history of the U.S."
Cheney's primary loss to MAGA minion Harriet Hageman is among the worst in the last 60 years, but no history-maker.
South Carolina Republican Bob Inglis fared worse in 2010.
Trump concluded with lies about the House's 2022 bipartisan January 6 insurrection investigation.
"[Liz Cheney] then worked with others on the J6 Committee to delete and destroy the evidence and findings of the committee."
Only Cheney and former Illinois Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger agreed with and were accepted to participate.
House GOP leadership attempted to load the committee with Republican legislators implicated in the planning, incitement, and execution of the insurrection.
On February 4, 2022, the Republican National Committee called the January 6, 2021 riot "legitimate political discourse" and overwhelmingly voted to censure Kinzinger and Cheney for taking part in the House investigation of the assault on the Capitol.
The Capitol siege hearings took place from Jun 9, 2022 – Oct 13, 2022.
Cheney lost her seat in Congress in retaliation for her participation while Kinzinger—after 12 years in Congress—had already announced in 2021 that he wouldn't seek reelection. Both were also among the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for incitement of insurrection in Trump's second impeachment.
Cheney's book Oath and Honor is due for release tomorrow, Tuesday, December 5, and is subtitled A Memoir and a Warning.
