Cheney: The Survival of Ukraine’s Freedom Depends on Mike Johnson | February 19, 2024
|
|
LIZ CHENEY: The best thing that we can do right now is to pass the aid bill that the Ukrainians need so urgently to help them continue what they’re doing to defeat Putin’s army in Ukraine. And one thing that’s really important, Jake, for the viewers to recognize and understand is, one man, one man has the power in his hands to get that done. And that’s Mike Johnson. Now…
JAKE TAPPER: The speaker of the House.
CHENEY: The speaker of the House, Mike Johnson.
It’s very unusual actually in American history to be in a situation where one man holds that kind of power who’s not the president. But Mike Johnson could, if he wanted to, today announce that he’s going to call the House of Representatives back into session. He could put the bill that’s already passed the Senate onto the floor of the House for a vote tomorrow.
It could be on Joe Biden’s desk by tomorrow night, and the aid could be flowing to Ukraine. And Mike Johnson ought to search deep in his conscience, understanding exactly what’s happening, the slaughter that’s happening in Ukraine today, the extent to which the Ukrainians are on the front lines in this battle for freedom.
And history will look back at this moment and ask, what did Mike Johnson do? He has said, and I take him at his word, that he believes that God has told him that he’s called to be Moses. And I think Mike Johnson ought to look at whether or not this is actually that moment, and he ought to help the Ukrainian people.
Cheney: Trump Pledges Retribution…What Putin Did To Navalny Is What Retribution Looks Like
CHENEY: Yes, I mean, look Donald Trump, as you pointed out, said just a few days ago that he had told a NATO ally that he would encourage Putin to do whatever he needed to do, whatever he wanted to do.
He’s basically made clear that, under a Trump administration, the United States is unlikely to keep its NATO commitments. And I think that Republicans who understand the importance of the national security situation who continue to support him are similarly going to be held to account.
When you think about Donald Trump, for example, pledging retribution, what Vladimir Putin did to Navalny is what retribution looks like in a country where the leader is not subject to the rule of law. And I think that we have to take Donald Trump very seriously. We have to take seriously the extent to which you have now got a Putin wing of the Republican Party.
I believe the issue this election cycle is making sure the Putin wing of the Republican Party does not take over the West Wing of the White House.
Cheney: Electing Trump Would Empower A Man Committed To Unraveling Our Constitutional Framework
TAPPER: Axios reports that Trump’s former Attorney General Bill Barr, who has been quite critical of Donald Trump in terms of the election lies in his effort to overturn the election, Bill Barr suggested in an event on Friday that he would vote for Trump over Biden. He said — quote — “Voting for Trump is playing Russian roulette with the country. Voting for Biden is outright national suicide.” What’s your thought on that?
CHENEY: No, he’s absolutely wrong. Now, I haven’t endorsed anybody in this presidential race, certainly would never support Donald Trump. And we know what Donald Trump will do, because he’s telling us every day. And anybody who has spent any time overseas, who has spent any time studying the history of autocracies and of autocrats knows we have to listen to what Donald Trump’s saying.
So electing Donald Trump’s not Russian roulette. Electing Donald Trump would mean putting in power a man who’s committed to unraveling our constitutional framework. So Bill Barr is just wrong on that.
Cheney: NATO Is The Most Successful Alliance In The History Of The World
| TAPPER: As you know, Donald Trump is standing by his comments about that anecdote where he told the NATO ally that, if they don’t pay the correct percentage of their GDP on defense, that he would tell Russia to do whatever the hell they want to them. What was your response to that when you heard that?
CHENEY: It is dangerous. It shows a complete lack of understanding of America’s role in the world. It’s disgraceful. I can’t imagine any other American president of either party since the establishment of NATO saying such a thing. And it’s completely uninformed and ignorant and dangerous. NATO, in my view, is the most successful alliance probably in the history of the world. And the extent to which, because of American leadership, we have been able to lead those free nations of Europe, we have been able to guarantee security, but we have been able to deter exactly the kind of thing that we’re seeing happen today in Ukraine, because NATO members know and because our adversaries know that, if there’s going to be an invasion of a NATO country, we will come to their aid. We will all come to each other’s aid. And I think one of the things that is so misguided about this current debate, people like J.D. Vance and others who suggest that we should just abandon the Ukrainians, is, if Putin wins in Ukraine, he’s telling us, he’s saying the Baltics are next, Poland is next, NATO member countries will be next. If Putin wins in Ukraine, the security system — and he knows this — the security structures that have maintained peace and security and freedom since the end of World War II will begin to unravel. CHENEY: And I think there’s something very important going on here. If you look, for example, at the Navalny assassination and how important it is for the West and for organizations that are committed to freedom and democracy to strengthen themselves and to stand tall now, one of the most important of those in the United States is the National Endowment for Democracy that was established during the Reagan administration that has long fought for freedom and stood for dissidents. You have now, today, as we sit here, Elise Stefanik, who has said that she would be perfectly willing to steal the next election, who, as far as I know, has made no comment about the assassination of Navalny, she sits on the board of the National Endowment for Democracy. So I would say, if they really are serious about being engaged in this hugely critical struggle for freedom, Elise Stefanik should not sit on that board any longer. |
