CNN anchor Chris Wallace expressed shock and concern over revelations about former President Donald Trump in Liz Cheney’s new book, “Oath and Honor.” Wallace, who interviewed Cheney for an exclusive first look at the book, discussed the excerpts with CNN correspondent Jamie Gangel on Tuesday’s edition of “The Lead.”
Wallace was particularly struck by Cheney’s account of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, which culminated in the January 6 attack on the Capitol. He also noted Cheney’s concerns about the role of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who she alleges was easily swayed by Trump’s flattery.
“The bottom line to me is the first thing that you said, which is a lot of people say it, Liz Cheney isn’t alone, which is that she very much worries whether the system that was set up by the founders in the 1770s, the checks and balances, the Constitution, whether it will hold,” Wallace said. “The institutions, if Trump is reelected, knowing what he knows now with the attitude he has now with the ‘I ain’t worried about the establishment’ and showing, you know, that I’ve got people like, you know, Jim Mattis you know, that he is, as he calls it, it’s the retribution tour.”
Gangel agreed with Wallace’s assessment, calling Cheney’s conclusions “chilling.” She noted that Cheney believes the guardrails of democracy have been weakened by Trump and his allies, and that the system may not be able to withstand another Trump presidency.
“That’s exactly her conclusion,” Gangel said. “It is chilling. The guardrails, in her opinion, are gone.”
Wallace and Gangel’s comments underscore the growing concern among some Republicans about the future of democracy under Trump. Cheney, a vocal critic of Trump, has emerged as a leading figure in the Republican resistance movement. Her book, “Oath and Honor,” is likely to further fuel the debate about the potential dangers of another Trump presidency.