BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Hours after the recommendations for a criminal referral were released, Congresswoman Liz Cheney got on a plane to speak at Crystal Bridges, where the Jan 6 capitol riot and Former President Donald Trump were a significant part of the discussion.
Cheney currently serves as Wyoming’s sole congresswoman in the House of Representatives. She's also on the House Armed Services Committee and the Vice Chair of the January 6 House Committee investigating the capitol riots.
Cheney was at Crystal Bridges as a part of its “We the People: Radical Notion of Democracy" series.
The lecture series is happening alongside the exhibit of an original print of the U.S. Constitution. She was joined on stage by Walton Family Foundation Executive Director Carol Stern.
Moments after receiving a standing ovation from a sold-out crowd of about 600 people, Cheney wasted no time speaking about the committee's recommendation and closing arguments.
"We have to hold those who we're responsible for January 6th accountable," Cheney said.
She said it's needed to make sure nothing like January 6 happens again, "It's never occurred that in the United States—since the civil war—that we wouldn't have a peaceful transfer of power."
The congresswoman said the committee was non-partisan and its primary focus was the defense of the U.S. Constitution.
"The facts led to criminal referrals for the former president of the United States," Cheney said.
"Trump preyed on their [January 6 rioters] patriotism in so many ways," Cheney said. "Preyed on people's patriotism and turned it into a weapon."
She says now more than ever—we need to turn to and rely on the constitution.
"It is a shield for us," Cheney said.
"We are not a perfect nation," said Cheney. "But the only way we progress towards becoming a more perfect union is through the republic's founding documents."
She was the last speaker of the series but the exhibit runs through January 2.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.