WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday voiced support for an FBI investigation into former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney over her leadership role in Congress’s investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol assault. The move highlights Trump’s push for retribution against his perceived political adversaries as he prepares to return to the White House on Jan. 20.
Trump’s statement followed the release of a report by the Republican-led House Administration Oversight Committee. The report alleged that Cheney may have violated federal laws in her involvement with the Jan. 6 probe and called for the FBI to investigate. Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, lost her bid for re-election in 2022 after clashing with Trump and the Republican Party over the Capitol riot.
“Liz Cheney could be in a lot of trouble based on the evidence obtained by the subcommittee,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He accused Cheney of numerous legal violations and urged federal authorities to act.
This is part of Trump’s broader efforts to target those he accuses of undermining him during his first term or pursuing legal cases against him after leaving office. Trump has also pledged clemency for some of the more than 1,250 individuals charged in connection with the Capitol riot, which resulted in five deaths, over $2.8 million in damages, and injuries to more than 140 police officers.
Cheney dismissed the report’s findings as politically motivated. “Their allegations do not reflect a review of the actual evidence and are a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth,” she stated in a post on Bluesky, emphasizing that no credible legal authority would take the claims seriously.
Cheney played a key role in the bipartisan House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, which concluded that Trump bore significant responsibility for inciting the riot. Her outspoken criticism of Trump and her alignment with the committee ultimately alienated her from many in the Republican Party.
Trump’s support for investigating Cheney reflects his strategy of consolidating loyalty within the GOP while punishing dissenters. As his inauguration approaches, Trump’s plans for addressing Jan. 6 prosecutions and his rhetoric about political retribution continue to stir controversy.
Cheney’s defenders argue that the Oversight Committee’s report is an attempt to shield Trump from accountability and rewrite the narrative of the Capitol assault. The escalating tensions set the stage for ongoing conflicts as Trump begins his second term.