Luke Broadwater: Liz Cheney Became Singular Force of Jan. 6th Committee

DEUTSCH Hey Luke when ░░░░░░░░ and I last spoke ░░░░░░░░ think on television it ░░░░░░░░ Thursday while we were ░░░░░░░░ for the release of ░░░░░░░░ report and it s ░░░░░░░░ I believe Monday if ░░░░░░░░ m if my if ░░░░░░░░ ve got my calendar ░░░░░░░░ which means that there ░░░░░░░░ been a few days ░░░░░░░░ normal people would spend ░░░░░░░░ presents and and and ░░░░░░░░ from the work grid ░░░░░░░░ know that s not ░░░░░░░░ you ve been doing ░░░░░░░░ ve been like plowing ░░░░░░░░ whatever documents have been ░░░░░░░░ in the intervening time ░░░░░░░░ want to I just ░░░░░░░░ to ask you from ░░░░░░░░ from the slightly higher ░░░░░░░░ like stepping up a ░░░░░░░░ bit into the clouds ░░░░░░░░ Now that when you ░░░░░░░░ your arms around we ░░░░░░░░ the final report has ░░░░░░░░ has been put out ░░░░░░░░ you said you re ░░░░░░░░ sure you and your ░░░░░░░░ are making your way ░░░░░░░░ it You know that ░░░░░░░░ are some more there ░░░░░░░░ still interview transcripts to ░░░░░░░░ out in the course ░░░░░░░░ this week What s ░░░░░░░░ terms of either documents ░░░░░░░░ you re waiting for ░░░░░░░░ with some eagerness because ░░░░░░░░ think they might be ░░░░░░░░ or things that you ░░░░░░░░ still going through documents ░░░░░░░░ you think where there ░░░░░░░░ be advances in the ░░░░░░░░ that are material what ░░░░░░░░ ahead for the what ░░░░░░░░ left to be exhausted ░░░░░░░░ might yield something that ░░░░░░░░ moves the needle on ░░░░░░░░ investigation as opposed to ░░░░░░░░ of adding just some ░░░░░░░░ of illuminating color BROADWATER ░░░░░░░░ Yeah I think that ░░░░░░░░ a that s a ░░░░░░░░ question You know we ░░░░░░░░ have more than 200 ░░░░░░░░ transcripts left to be ░░░░░░░░ at minimum that I ░░░░░░░░ about So there could ░░░░░░░░ some explosive new evidence ░░░░░░░░ there But generally you ░░░░░░░░ got to figure if ░░░░░░░░ was a big finding ░░░░░░░░ s already been in ░░░░░░░░ report or a hearing ░░░░░░░░ generally from these transcripts ░░░░░░░░ re finding new interesting ░░░░░░░░ some new color maybe ░░░░░░░░ new stuff that adds ░░░░░░░░ little more to the ░░░░░░░░ of evidence that we ░░░░░░░░ already seen but you ░░░░░░░░ you ve got to ░░░░░░░░ at this point if ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ really material revelations that ░░░░░░░░ the course of events ░░░░░░░░ s going to be ░░░░░░░░ s going to have ░░░░░░░░ be done by either ░░░░░░░░ Justice Department or the ░░░░░░░░ in Georgia You know ░░░░░░░░ re going and they ░░░░░░░░ re interviewing a lot ░░░░░░░░ these same people in ░░░░░░░░ cases new new people ░░░░░░░░ they do have in ░░░░░░░░ cases greater investigative tools ░░░░░░░░ abilities that a congressional ░░░░░░░░ would have So you ░░░░░░░░ I think if there ░░░░░░░░ going to be additional ░░░░░░░░ big breakthroughs that s ░░░░░░░░ to have to be ░░░░░░░░ by prosecutors And what ░░░░░░░░ re likely to see ░░░░░░░░ these transcripts is yes ░░░░░░░░ damning information but probably ░░░░░░░░ to change what we ░░░░░░░░ know from what the ░░░░░░░░ 6 committee has discovered ░░░░░░░░ put out LEMIRE So ░░░░░░░░ we mentioned the sweeping ░░░░░░░░ that you co authored ░░░░░░░░ The Times and in ░░░░░░░░ you talk about the ░░░░░░░░ of amount of power ░░░░░░░░ Congresswoman Liz Cheney wielded ░░░░░░░░ committee vice chair I ░░░░░░░░ quote you back to ░░░░░░░░ right here As the ░░░░░░░░ and friction among staff ░░░░░░░░ committee members grew one ░░░░░░░░ source of conflict became ░░░░░░░░ acute how Liz Cheney ░░░░░░░░ turned the typically ceremonial ░░░░░░░░ of vice chair into ░░░░░░░░ position of unmatched power ░░░░░░░░ the same way her ░░░░░░░░ transformed the vice presidency ░░░░░░░░ years earlier Cheney had ░░░░░░░░ significant hand in the ░░░░░░░░ and editing of the ░░░░░░░░ She also shaped the ░░░░░░░░ s interview process down ░░░░░░░░ who was served who ░░░░░░░░ served subpoenas and the ░░░░░░░░ of questioning Some staff ░░░░░░░░ worried that the Vice ░░░░░░░░ could be using the ░░░░░░░░ s platform to advance ░░░░░░░░ own political future Though ░░░░░░░░ by the Republican base ░░░░░░░░ its avatar Trump Cheney ░░░░░░░░ not renounce her party ░░░░░░░░ and her roots remain ░░░░░░░░ Unlike her father when ░░░░░░░░ accepted Bush s invitation ░░░░░░░░ be his running mate ░░░░░░░░ 2000 Liz Cheney had ░░░░░░░░ no time publicly vowed ░░░░░░░░ her designs on higher ░░░░░░░░ were behind her You ░░░░░░░░ What was impossible to ░░░░░░░░ in the end was ░░░░░░░░ s contribution to a ░░░░░░░░ that was expected to ░░░░░░░░ as so many other ░░░░░░░░ hearings had before it ░░░░░░░░ vice chairwoman was its ░░░░░░░░ public facing member and ░░░░░░░░ position of leadership complicated ░░░░░░░░ assertions by members of ░░░░░░░░ own party that the ░░░░░░░░ 6 inquiry was nothing ░░░░░░░░ than a Democratic witch ░░░░░░░░ Luke take us a ░░░░░░░░ further behind the scenes ░░░░░░░░ in terms of tension ░░░░░░░░ sounds like between Cheney ░░░░░░░░ her fellow committee members ░░░░░░░░ Right Well I think ░░░░░░░░ were more tensions with ░░░░░░░░ of the staff than ░░░░░░░░ were necessarily internally among ░░░░░░░░ members But yeah Liz ░░░░░░░░ took what is normally ░░░░░░░░ ceremonial role of a ░░░░░░░░ of vice chair which ░░░░░░░░ you know usually doesn ░░░░░░░░ have any real roles ░░░░░░░░ responsibilities and she slowly ░░░░░░░░ time became the most ░░░░░░░░ and important member of ░░░░░░░░ January 6 Committee And ░░░░░░░░ didn t do this ░░░░░░░░ some sort of you ░░░░░░░░ sneaky overtaking of the ░░░░░░░░ it was that as ░░░░░░░░ basically outworked every single ░░░░░░░░ including staff I mean ░░░░░░░░ in on the vast ░░░░░░░░ of the interviews reading ░░░░░░░░ every transcript becoming super ░░░░░░░░ of every detail of ░░░░░░░░ of the multi part ░░░░░░░░ to open Return the ░░░░░░░░ Other people started to ░░░░░░░░ ground to her because ░░░░░░░░ saw how how into ░░░░░░░░ she was how driven ░░░░░░░░ was And so when ░░░░░░░░ would speak at a ░░░░░░░░ she spoke with this ░░░░░░░░ high level of authority ░░░░░░░░ backed with all the ░░░░░░░░ and the evidence And ░░░░░░░░ she became the sort ░░░░░░░░ singular force on the ░░░░░░░░ And you know she ░░░░░░░░ always deferential to Chairman ░░░░░░░░ when Chairman Thompson had ░░░░░░░░ idea or wanted to ░░░░░░░░ the committee in one ░░░░░░░░ or another that always ░░░░░░░░ took shape But there ░░░░░░░░ a lot of deferring ░░░░░░░░ Liz Cheney and how ░░░░░░░░ January 6 Committee operated ░░░░░░░░ one thing that all ░░░░░░░░ the members told me ░░░░░░░░ the Democrats was they ░░░░░░░░ not have gotten some ░░░░░░░░ their key witnesses in ░░░░░░░░ door without Liz Cheney ░░░░░░░░ some of her top ░░░░░░░░ who had you know ░░░░░░░░ ties to the Republican ░░░░░░░░ and were well respected ░░░░░░░░ conservative circles and that ░░░░░░░░ of these Republicans would ░░░░░░░░ have spoken with the ░░░░░░░░ if Liz Cheney hadn ░░░░░░░░ asked them to do ░░░░░░░░ So and if and ░░░░░░░░ you recall nearly every ░░░░░░░░ at these hearings was ░░░░░░░░ Republican And so I ░░░░░░░░ it made a lot ░░░░░░░░ them feel more comfortable ░░░░░░░░ have a Republican and ░░░░░░░░ Republican staff who are ░░░░░░░░ them in the door ░░░░░░░░ It is a terrific ░░░░░░░░ worth reading published over ░░░░░░░░ weekend New York Times ░░░░░░░░ Reporter Luke Broadwater thank ░░░░░░░░