STARTS RIGHT NOW. >> THANK YOU. TODAY HOUSE REPUBLICANS PURGED LIZ CHENEY FROM THEIR LEADERSHIP. HER PARTY WILL BE GOING DOWN BY PICKING TRUMPS LIES OVER THE CONSTITUTION ITSELF. >> WE CANNOT BOTH EMBRACE THE BIG LIE AND EMBRACE THE CONSTITUTION. I WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO ENSURE THAT THE FORMER PRESIDENT SEVER AGAIN GETS ANYWHERE NEAR THE OVAL OFFICE. WE CANNOT BE DRAGGED BACKWARDS BY THE VERY DANGEROUS LIES OF A FORMER PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. >> THIS VOTE MARKS AN INFLECTION POINT FOR THIS POST TRUMP ERA WERE LIVING THROUGH. WHAT BEGAN LAST NOVEMBER WHEN VOTERS SOUNDLY DONALD TRUMP AND WHO BOILED OVER ON JANUARY 6th WHEN HIS SUPPORTERS WAGED A VIOLENT BUT FUTILE INSURRECTION TO TRY TO END OUR DEMOCRACY HAS NOW, I CAN REPORT FOR YOU TODAY, LANDED ON MAY 12th WITH A NEW STANDARD FOR HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ITS IMPORTANT THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND THIS. THEY NOW HAVE OFFICIALLY A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR LEADERS WHO ACCURATELY REBUT DONALD TRUMPS ELECTION LIES. THIS IS NO SMALL MATTER FOR OPPOSITION PARTY. THIS IS NOT JUST ONE MORE EXAGGERATION OR ONE MORE LIE OR ONE MORE PIECE OF TRUMP THEATER. EVEN FOR CRITICS OF THIS REPUBLICAN PARTY, TODAY IS ACTUALLY DIFFERENT AND WORSE THAN HOW ITS BEEN. THIS ISNT HOW ITS BEEN EVEN ALL THIS YEAR. IN JANUARY SOME REPUBLICAN LEADERS JOINED CHANEY IN CRITICIZING THE INSURRECTION DIRECTLY WHEN APPARENTLY THEY THOUGHT THATS WHERE OUR POLITICS WAS GOING. AS RECENTLY AS FEBRUARY, THE GOP VOTED TO KEEP CHANEY AS PART OF LEADERSHIP. WE HAVE THE RECEIPTS FOR YOU. IT WAS JUST THREE MONTHS AGO. IT WAS AIMED AS A COMPROMISE. TRUMP LOYALISTS WERE STILL IN CHARGE IN THE HOUSE, BUT THERE WAS ROOM, THEY SAID, FOR ONE VOICE LIKE CHANEY IN LEADERSHIP. AND 70% OF HOUSE REPUBLICANS BACKED THAT IN A RECORDED VOTE, WHICH MEANS THEY ARE VEREVERSING THEMSELVES TODAY. NOT ONLY THAT, UNLIKE THE LAST VOTE, WHICH IS WHY YOU SEE THE CHART ON YOUR SCREEN OF MOST REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE BACKING IT, TODAYS VOTE WAS A FULLY
SECRET VOTE WHICH IS AN OBVIOUS SECRET VOTE WHICH IS AN OBVIOUS SIGN OF POLITICAL WEAKNESS. REPUBLICANS DIDNT WANT TO PUT THEIR NAMES ON REVERSING THEIR POSITION AND OUSTING AND PURGING CHANEY. THEY DONT WANT TO ACTUALLY TELL US HOW MANY OF THEM WANT TO BASICALLY ENSURE THE PARTY IS THIS NARROW. HOW BAD IS IT FOR THEM? WELL EVERYONE KNOW THIS IS IS ABOUT CHANEY STANDING UP TO TRUMP ON ONE TOPIC THAT HE LOST. NOBODY THINKS THIS IS ABOUT THE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT OR STATE HEALTH CARE SUBSIDIES. NOBODY IN EITHER PARTY THINKS THAT. ALTHOUGH, THERE IS A LOT OF LYING GOING ON, BUT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHAT THIS FIGHT IS ABOUT AND WHAT THIS VOTE TODAY MEANS. IT IS SO BAD THAT A LOT OF THEM ADMIT THAT OR TAKE A VICTORY LAP. THATS WHAT ITS ABOUT. I SIDED WITH TRUMP. CHANEYS FULL LEADERSHIP
COLLEAGUE, KEVIN McCARTHY HAS TO COLLEAGUE, KEVIN McCARTHY HAS TO GO OUT AND SAY FOOLISH, RIDICULOUS CLAIMS THAT NOBODY BELIEVES. >> I DONT THINK ANYBODY IS QUESTIONING THE LEGITIMACY OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. >> THATS LITERALLY WHAT TODAYS VOTE IS ABOUT. ITS NOT OVER WITH. ITS RENEWED AND MORE OF A FIGHT RIGHT NOW THAN IT WAS BEFORE. AND ITS FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT IT WAS ABOUT THAT AND NOT SOMETHING ELSE. CHANEYS REPLACEMENT BACKS THE BIG LIE. THAT IS THE LITMUS TEST. THATS APPARENTLY MORE IMPORTANT TO THE POLICY THAN POLICY OR REPUBLICAN VOTERS PRIORITIES, CHANEY VOTING WITH TRUMP 92% OF THE TIME. IT WAS NEVER ABOUT TAXES OR THE WALL OR COAL MINERS OR WHAT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY DID WHEN IT HAD ACTUAL PARTY THESE PAST FOUR YEARS. IT WILL BE MARKED IN THE HISTORY BOOKS AS A MEASURABLE TURNING POINT FOR THIS TROUBLED PARTY BECAUSE IT WASNT ABOUT THOSE THINGS. ITS ABOUT THE FLORIDA BLOGGER. ITS ABOUT HIS EGO, HIS NEED TO DOMINATE EVEN OUT OF OFFICE AND THE DECEITFUL VANITY OF GETTING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO PRETEND YOU WON BECAUSE YOU CANT HANDLE BEING THE LOSER OF THE 2020 RACE. BECAUSE THATS WHAT YOU ARE, WHETHER YOU HAVE A NEW BLOG OR NOT. IF IT ALL SOUNDS A LITTLE PATHETIC, IT IS. BUT I WANT TO TELL YOU TONIGHT, IT IS MUCH MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE WHEN DEMOCRACIES LOSE ANY GRIP ON THE PEACEFUL TRANSFERS OF POWER AND ANY COMMONALITY ACROSS THE SPECTRUM OF IDEOLOGY AND BELIEFS, WE SHOULD DEBATE. THATS DEMOCRACY. BUT WHEN WE LOSE THE ABILITY TO RESPECT THE OUTCOME OF ELECTIONS, WHICH BY DEFINITION ALWAYS MEANS RESPECTING SOME RESULTS THAT SOME PEOPLE HOPED WOULD GO THE OTHER WAY. IF WE LOSE THAT, THEN I PROMISE YOU DEMOCRACY ITSELF REMAINS IN DANGER TONIGHT. JUST THE POINT CHANEY HAS BEEN URGING HER COLLEAGUES TO TAKE SERIOUSLY. >> I WILL NOT SIT BACK AND WATCH IN SILENCE WHILE OTHERS LEAD OUR PARTY DOWN A PATH THAT ABANDONS THE RULE OF LAW AND JOINS THE FORMER PRESIDENTS CRUSADE TO UNDERMINE OUR DEMOCRACY. >> SOMEBODY WHO HAS PROVOKED AN ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL TO PREVENT THE COUNTING OF ELECTORAL VOTES. >> I DONT BELIEVE HE SHOULD BE PLAYING A ROLE IN THE FUTURE OF THE PARTY IS WHAT I THINK. >> THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT THE PRESIDENT FORMED THE MOB, THE PRESIDENT INCITED THE MOB, THE PRESIDENT ADDRESSED THE MOB. HE LIT THE FLAME. >> WERE JOINED BY TWO PEOPLE WHO KNOW ALL ABOUT POLITICAL PARTIES, HOW THEY EVOLVE, WHAT THE BOUNDARIES SHOULD BE. MICHAEL STEELE RAN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. HOWARD DEAN RAN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AS DNC CHAIR. MANY OTHER TITLES AND ACCOLADES THAT I COULD LIST. BUT I BEGIN THERE. AND, MICHAEL, YOUR REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS A PROBLEM TONIGHT. I GUESS ILL ASK YOU WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT I NOW SHARE WITH VIEWERS, THAT I BELIEVE THIS GOES BEYOND A PARTY OR AN ELECTION OR POLITICAL POSTURING. THERE IS A CONCERN HERE ABOUT WHETHER BOTH PARTIES WILL ADHERE TO ELECTIONS OR NOT IN THIS COUNTRY. >> YEAH, I DONT THINK THATS AN EXAGGERATION, ARI. I THINK THATS A VERY FINELY TUNED POINT, BASED ON THE EVIDENCE AND FACTS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO US BY THE PARTY, NOT JUST IN THESE MOMENTS THAT OCCURRED TODAY, BUT GOING BACK TO PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR AGO THIS TIME WHEN THE PRESIDENT BEGAN HIS NARRATIVE TO SYSTEMATICALLY SHAKE DOWN THE ELECTION OF 2020 BY, YOU KNOW, INTIMATING AND THEN OUTRIGHT SAYING THAT IF HE WERE NOT THE WINNER THAT THE ELECTION WAS FRAUDULENT. AND, SO, WHAT IS DISTURBING AND VERY PROBLEMATIC FOR THE PARTY IS THAT LEADERS IN THAT PARTY, IN THIS PARTY, TOOK UP THAT MANTLE, THAT LIE, AND BEGAN TO PERPETUATE IT. AND, SO, IT WASNT JUST ENOUGH THAT TRUMP WAS SEEING IT. IT COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN BATTED DOWN IF McCONNELL OR McCARTHY OR ANYONE ELSE IN LEADERSHIP STEPPED INTO THE MOMENT AND SAID, MR. PRESIDENT, THATS NOT HOW THIS WORKS. THATS NOT HOW OUR ELECTIONS ARE RUN. THE ONLY ONE TO DO THAT WAS LIZ CHENEY. AND TODAY SHE PAID A PRICE FOR HER HONESTY AND HER STANDING STRONG ON THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPALS THAT HAVE NOT JUST GERTED OUR ELECTIONS BUT THAT WE RELY ON TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY MOVING FORWARD. >> HOWARD? >> YEAH. I THINK THIS IS A MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM THAN WHATS GOING ON IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. THIS IS A CONTEST TO SEE IF OUR DEMOCRACY AND OUR COUNTRY SURVIVES. AND MOST REPUBLICANS HAVE CHOSEN THEIR POWER AND CHOSEN NOT TO HAVE A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY. THE LIES THAT HAVE BEEN TOLD, THERE WAS A GEORGIA CONGRESSMAN OUT THERE SAYING THERE WAS NO INSURRECTION AND IT WAS ALL PEACEFUL AND ALL THIS STUFF. IT IS NOT JUST THE LIES THAT TRUMP WON THE ELECTION. IT IS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT HAS EMBRACED THIS LIE. I THINK LIZ CHENEY DESERVES A LOT OF CREDIT. IM SURE THERE WILL BE PEOPLE THAT ARE HORRIFIED THAT I SHOULD SAY THAT. BUT WHAT WE NEED IS NOT THAT WE ALL AGREE ON OUR VISION OF AMERICA. WHAT WE NEED IS HONESTY AND TO STAND UP FOR CORE DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPALS. THE REPUBLICANS HAVE ABANDONED PRINCIPALS. McCONNELL HAS ABANDONED THEM. ALL THE BACK BENCHERS ARE CARRYING ON AND PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THE VAST MAJORITY DO NOT HAVE A SPINE. YOU COULD FIND SIX SPINES IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, I WOULD SAY YOU ARE EXAGGERATING. WE NEED PEOPLE TO STAND UP LIKE LIZ CHENEY DID TODAY. I COULD HAVE EVERY DISAGREEMENT YOU WOULD IMAGINE ON POLICY WITH LIZ CHENEY. BUT WHAT WE AGREE ON IS LOYALTY TO THE COUNTRY SHOULD TRUMP DISAGREEMENTS ON POLICY. LIZ CHENEY EXHIBITED THAT TODAY. SHES A TRUE AMERICAN, AND I
The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the light, the future is.