Liz Cheney concealed Trump’s National Guard request on J6 in her memoir
In her memoir, former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., falsely portrayed former President Donald Trump as the mastermind behind the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. She claimed that Trump resisted calls to deploy the National Guard. However, The Federalist exclusively reported on Friday that evidence suppressed by Cheney’s committee actually showed that Trump pushed for more troops.
In her December book, Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning, Cheney revealed how the select committee discovered that the White House was warned about the potential for violence leading up to Jan. 6, 2021. The committee learned of these warnings through records obtained by the Secret Service.
Cheney wrote in her book that it was clear the Secret Service had briefed those in the White House about the threat. She stated that the information was being conveyed up the chain, including to Mark Meadows and President Trump.
Cheney portrayed Trump as negligent regarding the need for security in Washington on the day of the electoral count. She emphasized the weight of the intelligence received and found it hard to believe that anyone in the White House could have failed to recognize the obvious danger.
However, the Trump administration did recognize the risk and actively sought to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to reinforce D.C. police. This information was covered up by Cheney.
Last week, Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway revealed that Cheney’s committee concealed testimony from former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Anthony Ornato. Ornato stated in his first interview with House investigators on Jan. 28, 2022, that he overheard Meadows urging D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to mobilize as many National Guard troops as needed.
Ornato also testified that President Trump suggested the need for 10,000 troops to maintain peace during the public rallies and protests scheduled for January 6, 2021. He described the White House’s frustration with the slow deployment of assistance by Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller on that day.
The committee kept Ornato’s testimony hidden from the public and launched a press campaign to discredit him as a witness. However, Cheney cited Ornato’s testimony in her book as evidence of the White House’s dismissiveness towards the security situation in Washington on Jan. 6.
Cheney invited skeptics to read the Final Report of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol and specifically mentioned the recorded examination of Tony Ornato by Chief Investigative Counsel Tim Heaphy on November 29, 2022. She emphasized that they knew.
But Cheney conveniently left out Ornato’s Jan. 28 interview where he stated that Trump actually sought 10,000 National Guard troops to secure the Capitol. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., who is investigating the Jan. 6 committee, criticized the committee for withholding Ornato’s testimony and stated that it proves Trump did offer 10,000 troops, which was turned down.
Ornato revealed that Mayor Bowser rejected the request for additional Guard troops in Washington, D.C. Meadows wanted to ensure that she had enough guardsmen. The request for assistance ultimately resulted in a few hundred unarmed troops being deployed to offer rudimentary assistance to District police.
Bowser’s letter to the commanding general of the local National Guard stated that no DCNG personnel would be armed during the mission and they would not engage in domestic surveillance, searches, or seizures of US persons. It is worth noting that Bowser had previously opposed additional federal troops in D.C. during the 2020 riots.
When the White House faced delays in deploying more Guard troops, Chief Meadows contacted the Department of Defense. Ornato recalled Meadows informing him that National Guard troops would be at Joint Base Andrews in case they were needed.
The select committee, led by Cheney, refused to investigate Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s opposition to additional Guard troops at the Capitol. Pelosi was reportedly concerned about the “optics” of reinforcements after Democrats criticized the use of federal troops in Washington during the 2020 riots.
Cheney herself discouraged the Pentagon from taking action by organizing an op-ed by former defense secretaries days before the riot to condemn troop mobilization. Ornato described Meadows’ frustration with the Defense Department on the day of the riot, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
However, Cheney never allowed Ornato’s testimony to be made public. Instead, her committee’s final report stated that Trump never ordered the deployment of the National Guard on Jan. 6 or any other day, and he did not instruct any federal law enforcement agency to assist.
Hemingway reported that Ornato’s description of events aligned with testimony from Kash Patel, the former chief of staff to the acting secretary of defense, in a Colorado Supreme Court hearing. The court dismissed Patel’s testimony due to the suppression of Ornato’s corroborating information by the January 6 committee.
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What are the implications of Liz Cheney’s selective citation of Anthony Ornato’s testimony and her omission of Trump’s request for 10,000 National Guard troops
Title: Liz Cheney’s Misrepresentation of Trump’s Involvement in the January 6 Capitol Riot
Introduction:
In her memoir, former Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming has made false claims regarding former President Donald Trump’s role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Cheney alleged that Trump resisted calls to deploy the National Guard, but evidence suppressed by her committee suggests otherwise. This article aims to explore the discrepancies in Cheney’s portrayal of events and shed light on the suppressed information that contradicts her narrative.
Cheney’s Discovery of White House Warnings:
In her book, “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning,” Cheney highlights how the select committee discovered that the White House was warned about the potential for violence leading up to January 6, 2021. These warnings were conveyed through records obtained by the Secret Service. Cheney writes that it was evident the Secret Service had briefed individuals in the White House, including Mark Meadows and President Trump, about the threat.
Negligence and Suppression of Information:
Cheney depicts Trump as negligent regarding the need for security in Washington on the day of the electoral count. She emphasizes the weight of the intelligence received and finds it hard to believe that anyone in the White House could have failed to recognize the obvious danger. However, evidence shows that the Trump administration recognized the risk and actively sought to deploy 10,000 National Guard troops to reinforce D.C. police. This crucial information was deliberately covered up by Cheney.
Suppression of Testimony:
Last week, Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway revealed that Cheney’s committee concealed testimony from former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Anthony Ornato. Ornato stated in his first interview with House investigators on January 28, 2022, that he overheard Meadows urging D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to mobilize as many National Guard troops as needed. Ornato also testified that President Trump suggested the need for 10,000 troops to maintain peace during the public rallies and protests scheduled for January 6, 2021. He further described the White House’s frustration with the slow deployment of assistance by Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller on that day.
Selective Citation:
Cheney cited Ornato’s testimony in her book as evidence of the White House’s dismissiveness towards the security situation in Washington on January 6. However, she conveniently omitted Ornato’s January 28 interview where he stated that Trump actually sought 10,000 National Guard troops to secure the Capitol. This omission raises questions about Cheney’s intentions and her portrayal of events.
Withheld Testimony and Discrediting Witnesses:
The select committee, chaired by Cheney, kept Ornato’s testimony hidden from the public and launched a press campaign to discredit him as a witness. This deliberate suppression of crucial information is alarming and undermines the committee’s credibility. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., who is investigating the January 6 committee, criticized the committee for withholding Ornato’s testimony and stated that it substantiates Trump’s offer of 10,000 troops, which was turned down.
Conclusion:
The discrepancy between Liz Cheney’s memoir and the suppressed evidence brings into question her motives and the credibility of her committee’s investigation. It is imperative to consider all available information when assessing the events of January 6, 2021, and to acknowledge that Trump sought to deploy additional National Guard troops, contrary to Cheney’s narrative. The selective portrayal of events does a disservice to the truth and hinders the pursuit of justice.
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