Liz Cheney delivers commencement address at alma mater amid questions about future

Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) on Sunday delivered the commencement address to her alma mater, Colorado College, amid questions about her political future, encouraging students to vote, run for office and defend democracy.

“After the 2020 election, and the attack of January 6, my fellow Republicans wanted me to lie. They wanted me to say that the 2020 election was stolen, that the attack of January 6 wasn’t a big deal, and that Donald Trump wasn’t dangerous,” Cheney told the graduating class at the Colorado Springs-based liberal arts college.

“I had to choose between lying and losing my position in House leadership. As I spoke to my colleagues on my last morning as chair of the Republican conference … I told them that if they wanted a leader who would lie, they should choose someone else,” she said, prompting applause.

The commencement address comes amid speculation about Cheney’s future political plans after she lost her reelection bid for the House last year to a Trump-backed challenger. The former Wyoming congresswoman was on the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol that criminally referred former President Trump to the Department of Justice — and she drew Trump’s ire for her work.

“Think about this: Cleta Mitchell, an election denier and an advisor to former President Trump, told a gathering of Republicans recently that it is crucially important to make sure that college students don’t vote. Those who are trying to unravel the foundations of our republic, who are threatening the rule of law and the sanctity of our elections know they can’t succeed if you vote. So Class of 2023, get out and vote,” Cheney told the audience.

She encouraged the students to run for office, “defend our Constitution” and “defeat those who deny the sanctity of our elections.”

Some have questioned whether Cheney could enter the 2024 presidential race, joining Trump and a number of other candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, in the GOP primary contest. She’s appeared as a possible presidential candidate option on some recent polling.

Cheney said earlier this year that she was undecided about her political future, including whether she wants to run for president.

“And I want to say a particular word to the women in the audience. This country needs more of you in office. You may have noticed that men are pretty much running things these days. And it’s not going all that well,” she said in her address.