Cheney responds to Trump jail threat: ‘Here’s the truth’

(The Hill) -- Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) responded to President-elect Donald Trump’s threat that he would throw members who sat on the House committee that investigated rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in jail, calling his remarks an “assault on the rule of law.”

“Here is the truth: Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize power,” Cheney said in a statement provided to The Hill.

“He mobilized an angry mob and sent them to the United States Capitol, where they attacked police officers, invaded the building and halted the official counting of electoral votes. Trump watched on television as police officers were brutally beaten and the Capitol was assaulted, refusing for hours to tell the mob to leave," Cheney said.

“This was the worst breach of our Constitution by any president in our nation’s history. Donald Trump’s suggestion that members of Congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.”

The New York Times first reported Cheney's statement.

On Sunday, Trump joined “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker for his first sit-down interview since winning the election in November. In the conversation, he indicated that he would not explicitly order those he’s appointing to top positions to go after his political enemies, but referenced jailing members who served on the House panel that investigated Jan. 6.

He called Cheney’s actions “inexcusable” and argued she was behind the entire committee’s operations. Trump said “honestly, they should go to jail,” referring to the panel's members.

As Trump prepares to enter the White House again, there’s concern that he will use the Justice Department to go after his political rivals, something he spoke about during the campaign as he faced his own criminal charges. He’s also assembling a Cabinet of loyalists, who, unlike his first administration, may not hold him back.

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), another staunch Trump critic, didn’t seem so worried about Trump’s threat. In an interview Sunday, he said he has “absolutely no worries” about being jailed by the president-elect.

“First off, the executive branch can’t go after the legislative branch because we embarrassed him. That’s not a sin, that’s not against the law,” Kinzinger said, later adding, “So, look, he’s all butt hurt right now because he was embarrassed. He’s not going to come after us, and I’m not worried about it at all.”

The developments come as President Joe Biden considers handing out preemptive pardons to some of Trump’s critics, including Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and others.

Mychael Schnell contributed.